Both Sides Now
by Addie Logan
Summary: After the destruction of Sunnydale, Dawn searches for her place in life—and finds unlikely love along the way. DawnxAndrew
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Time to state the obvious—I don't own _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_. If I did, I'd be rich and have my own personal Spikebot. As it is, I'm poor and Spikeless. Such is life. Also, the song at the beginning is "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell. I don't own that either.

Rating: R (Non-explict sexual situation, adult themes)

Summary: After the destruction of Sunnydale, Dawn searches for her place in life—and finds unlikely love along the way. (Dawn/Andrew)

Spoilers: Starts off during _The Girl in Question_ (_Angel_, season 5, episode 20) and goes on from there. If you still haven't seen the final few episodes of _Angel_ and want to be shocked and amazed when you do, then don't read this. If you haven't seen them, but want to read this anyway, don't worry about being lost. The events of the series finale of _Angel_ play a minimal part. You won't be lost or confused. (Not due to that anyway…)

Author's Note: Why Dawn and Andrew? Why not? I think they'd make a cute, albeit a somewhat odd, couple. Why this fic? Simple—I felt like writing something about what Dawn would be like if she ever really got past the whiny, the world hates me stage. That, and I figured what the hell, can't write nothing but Spuffy fics all the time, right? Hope you enjoy it!

Feedback and Archiving: Feedback is of the good. Leave me some. I'm usually okay with archiving, just as long as it's not with someone else's name on the fic. wink Email me first though and ask.

* * *

**Both Sides Now**

**By: Addie Logan**

* * *

**_Rows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air  
And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way.  
But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.  
So many things I would have done but clouds got in my way. _**

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,  
From up and down, and still somehow  
It's cloud illusions I recall.  
I really don't know clouds at all.

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel  
As every fairy tale comes real; I've looked at love that way.  
But now it's just another show.  
You leave 'em laughing when you go  
And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

I've looked at love from both sides now,  
From give and take, and still somehow  
It's love's illusions I recall.  
I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say I love you right out loud,  
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I've looked at life that way.  
But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say  
I've changed.  
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,  
From win and lose, and still somehow  
It's life's illusions I recall.  
I really don't know life at all.

* * *

Dawn didn't like Italy. She tried, for Buffy, but the smile she wore was fake. She'd known her life was in for some major changes when Sunnydale had collapsed into the ground, but she hadn't expected moving to an entirely different country. 

For Dawn, school there was a joke. Her Italian was improving, but it still wasn't good enough for her to really follow a class discussion. She spent most of the day in special classes designed for non-Italian speaking students. They made her feel more isolated and less than intelligent.

Now, to make things even worse, Andrew Wells of all people had moved in with them. Dawn could tolerate him a little more than she used to, but she still didn't know why she had to live with her and Buffy. Due to that thing with the incineration, he was her newest roommate. And for some reason, Buffy seemed to think that Andrew sleeping on their couch was perfectly normal.

Dawn walked into her sister's room, frowning when she noticed Buffy getting ready. "Going out tonight?"

"Yeah. He's taking me out dancing." Buffy smiled, smoothing down her hair.

"Well, I guess that's better than when you two get all smoochy on the couch, and I'm stuck in my room," Dawn muttered.

Buffy gave her sister a look. "Don't be that way, Dawn. You could go out once in a while, too, you know. Do something with your friends."

"I don't have any friends."

"Sure you do," Buffy replied, writing Dawn's behavior off as another one of Dawn's "pity me" mood swings. "So how do I look?"

"Great," Dawn replied as she walked out of the room. Buffy didn't seem to notice, turning back to her reflection. Andrew was sitting on the couch wearing a t-shirt and a robe. Dawn hoped he was staying in, and then realized how desperate she was if spending time with Andrew was looking good. "You look casual," Dawn said, sitting on the other end of the couch. "Plan on spending the evening here, watching a _Star Trek_ marathon or something?"

"Not tonight, young one," Andrew replied. "I have a date with not one, but two beautiful women."

"Two?"

"Yes. Apparently they're willing to share if it means they get even a taste of me. My reputation has spread like wildfire all over Rome."

Dawn almost asked what that reputation was for, but decided she didn't really want to know. "That's great," she said, trying not to sound too sarcastic. She stood. "I'm just going to go catch a movie or something."

Andrew frowned, picking up on Dawn's obvious bad mood. "Do you want me to cancel my plans and hang with you?" Andrew asked. "Because I can…"

"The last thing I need is nerd pity," Dawn snapped. "I'll be back later." Dawn grabbed her purse and left the apartment, shutting the door loudly.

Buffy walked out a few moments later. "Where's Dawn?"

"She went to a movie."

"Did she take her cell phone?"

"I guess."

"Are you going out tonight?" Buffy asked,

"Yes. Caprice and Isabella will be by later."

"Caprice _and_ Isabella? Last I heard it was just Isabella. When did Caprice get thrown into the mix?"

"Caprice is Isabella's roommate. She thinks I'm cute, and she asked Isabella if they could share me. Isabella liked the idea. It's been great." Andrew smiled.

"I'm, um, happy for you. Listen, I have to meet the Immortal." Buffy grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good time, Buffy."

"You, too."

After Buffy left, Andrew sat down on the couch, thinking about Dawn. She had been alone a lot lately, with both Andrew and Buffy busy with their respective relationships. Andrew thought maybe he should have insisted on going with Dawn. He knew what it was like to feel alone in the world. He contemplated going after her, but stopped when he heard a knock at the door. He panicked for a second, wondering if it was Caprice and Isabella and fearing what they'd think of him if they saw him in his old robe and Strong Bad t-shirt, but then he looked at the clock and realized there was no way they would be several hours early. He went to the door, wondering who it could be.

What he didn't expect was to open the door to two vampires with souls.

* * *

The movie was originally in English, but it had been dubbed over into Italian. Dawn tried to follow the plot with the basic Italian she'd learned, but she found herself making her own story for it more than anything else. She wished they'd just used subtitles. Tiny Italian words at the end of the screen were easy to ignore, and then the actors would be speaking her language. Literally. 

Dawn slumped back in her seat, her head starting to hurt. Although some of her past school records may have suggested otherwise, Dawn wasn't stupid, and as far as languages went, she'd never really had a problem with them before. She could translate ancient Sumerian, but she couldn't learn enough Italian to follow a simple action movie after months of living in Italy.

Dawn walked out of the theater with no clue of what had happened, other than that a bunch of stuff had blown up. She figured she didn't miss much.

She pulled her cell phone out of her purse, seeing if anyone had called while she was in the theater. The caller ID indicated that someone had called from her apartment, but hadn't left a message. She almost went back to see if everything was okay, but she really didn't want to. She was tired of sitting around, alone and bored. Buffy and Andrew would be gone all night, so why shouldn't she stay out, too?

Dawn spotted a night club and made her way over to it.

* * *

Andrew sat in a booth in an expensive restaurant, a gorgeous woman sitting on either side of him. He should be in a much better mood, even after the several visits he'd received from Spike and Angel that night. But his mind kept drifting back to Dawn. He'd tried to call her before he'd left the apartment, but he'd only gotten her voice mail, and then Spike and Angel had reappeared, putting a halt to any other plans he had to finding her. Andrew knew Dawn had been having a hard time finding her place in Italy, and he felt guilty for not spending more time with her. When he'd stayed with Buffy back in Sunnydale, Dawn had been one of the few people to ever actually talk to him. He decided he should return the favor. 

Isabelle leaned down, her body all but wrapped around Andrew's. "_Take us dancing_," she said in Italian. "_I want to feel my body move with yours_."

Caprice leaned over on the other side. "_I do, too, my sweet little man_."

Andrew swallowed, nodding. Anything to please my two lovely ladies.

* * *

Dawn decided she did like Italy after all. At seventeen, she was old enough to drink there, and the alcohol she had consumed had raised her mood considerably. And the language barrier didn't matter so much when the music was too loud to hear well anyway. She was dancing with a good looking young man, and she wondered if maybe she should let him take her home with him. It was not like Buffy would notice if she didn't come back tonight anyway. Dawn giggled at the thought, rubbing up against him. 

Andrew stared across the club. He thought for a second that it might be his eyes playing tricks on him, but there was no mistaking who that was. I'll be right back, Andrew told his dates, crossing the dance floor. He caught Dawn by the arm and spun her around. "What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I could ask you the same thing," Dawn replied. She giggled, pointing at his tuxedo. "You look like James Bond."

"You're drunk," Andrew said, a little surprised.

"Just a little," Dawn replied, holding her pointer finger slightly above her thumb and giggling some more. "And I was dancing, so you go back to your girlfriends now."

"_Who is this_?" asked the man Dawn was dancing with.

"_I'm her friend_," Andrew replied. "_And we are leaving now_."

Dawn was able to use enough of her alcohol-hazy brain to understand the gist what had been said. "Oh no. I'm not going anywhere. I wanna dance."

"Dawn, you're drunk. Buffy wouldn't…"

"Buffy! Screw Buffy. Who cares about Buffy? Is she here to stop me? No! And you make a totally lame Bond. Lamer than Timothy Dalton."

Andrew took a deep breath, reminding himself that Dawn was drunk and just trying to bait him. "Dawn, we need to go home now," Andrew said, a little more forcefully.

"No. Dammit, Andrew just leave me alone."

"You leave with me now, or I'm calling Buffy and telling her what you're up to."

"She won't care."

"Yes she will. Do you really want her to come in here and make a scene?"

Dawn sighed. Buffy probably would make a scene. She liked doing that. Dawn glared at Andrew. "Fine, I'll leave with you. But I'm not happy about it."

Andrew led Dawn away, ignoring the protests from the man she'd been dancing with. He went back to Caprice and Isabelle. I'm sorry, ladies, but I have to cut our evening short. My friend here has gotten herself into a bit of a mess.

Dawn stood behind Andrew as he said goodbye to the women. She could understand only bits of what they said, but she knew that one of them, Caprice, she thought, was calling her a little girl who couldn't take care of herself. Dawn tensed. What did that woman know? Hell, she thought Andrew was cool. She didn't see why any woman would be interested in him. He probably wasn't even straight. She felt him tug on his arm, and she followed him wordlessly out of the club.

Once outside, they walked towards the nearest taxi stand. Dawn shivered. "Are you cold?" Andrew asked.

"No." Her teeth chattered.

Andrew sighed, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around her. Dawn didn't protest, pulling the jacket tighter around her shoulders. "You know, that guy in the club could've been anyone," Andrew told her. "He could've been…"

"A demon?"

"I was going to say a serial killer."

Dawn chuckled. "Oh yeah. I almost forgot that some of the evil in this world isn't from Hell."

They walked to the taxi stand in silence. Once they got in a cab, Dawn leaned over, resting her head on Andrew's shoulder. "Are you okay?" Andrew asked.

"I'm suddenly really tired," Dawn replied. "And my stomach's sorta flippy."

"That's what happens when you drink that much."

Dawn looked up at him. "You know, that _could_'ve been a serial killer. He could've killed me! You saved my life!"

"That's the alcohol talking, Dawn."

"No, really. You're like, my hero. I should kiss you."

Andrew flushed, a vision of what it would be like to kiss Dawn invading his mind. "No, you really shouldn't."

"What's the matter, Andrew? Don't like kissing girls?"

Andrew sighed, wishing this night was just over. As if Spike and Angel hadn't been enough to deal with, now Dawn was drunk and quite possibly hitting on him. "It's not that, it's…Dawn, you're drunk."

"Bah. I'm not drunk. Just a little…bubbly." Dawn giggled, falling over a bit in the seat. "There were bubbles in the drink." She began to sing, loudly and off-key, "Tiny bubbles, in the wine, make me happy, make me feel fine!"

Andrew took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. "Dawn…"

Dawn leaned again, this time falling over on him. "Tiny bubbles, make me warm all over, with a feeling that I'm gonna, love you till the end of time." She punctuated the last line by tapping Andrew on the nose.

"Dawn," Andrew said again. "Calm down."

"My mother _loved_ that song. She'd sing it to me when I was a baby." Dawn sat up, her expression suddenly very serious. "Do you think it's appropriate to sing a song about drinking to a baby?" The smile returned along with the giggles. "I don't care. I like bubbles. Even tiny ones."

The cab stopped in front of their apartment building. "Oh, thank god," Andrew said, handing the driver several bills, making sure to tip well to compensate for the ear-piercing screeching the poor man had been subjected to. "Come on," Andrew said, pulling Dawn to her feet, "Let's go inside."

Dawn fell against him. "I think you're gonna have to carry me, cause my legs aren't working so good."

"Oh in the name of Stan Lee," Andrew muttered under his breath. "I don't think I can, Dawn. I'm more Bruce Banner than Incredible Hulk."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Nerd weakling."

"Hey, I'm not the one stumbling all over the sidewalk here. Come on, lean on me. I'll try to keep you upright."

"Okay, fine, but if I smack my head and die, it's your fault."

Andrew restrained from commenting, instead focusing on getting her up to their apartment. He led her into her bedroom, helping her on to her bed. "There. Now sleep it off."

"My shoes are hurting my feet."

"Take them off."

"I can't sit up to reach them." Dawn gave him a pleading pout.

Andrew grumbled, cursing the fates for having him spend his evening here instead of back in the club with Caprice and Isabelle. He took off Dawn's shoes. "Happy now?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I hate my life!" Dawn blurted out, beginning to cry.

"Why do you hate your life?"

"Because it sucks! My home fell into a crater, my sister pays more attention to some weird immortal guy than me, I don't speak stupid Italian, and I…I miss Spike!"

Andrew paused at that last part. "Spike?"

"Yeah. Buffy never lets us talk about him. Sometimes it's like he never even existed. I know she misses him, but I do, too. It's not fair that he gave his life to save us all, and Buffy never even lets me say his name!"

Andrew sat beside Dawn on the bed. "You really were friends with Spike, huh?"

"I think so. That summer that Buffy was dead, Spike took care of me. He blamed himself, for not being able to stop that Doc guy from cutting me in the first place, so he was always looking out for me. We spent a lot of time together, and…and he tried to make losing Buffy not hurt so bad for me, even though it was ripping him apart, too. But…but then I turned on him, and…and things never got better again. I wish they could've gotten better before…before he…" Dawn's voice trailed off.

Andrew felt torn. He wanted to tell Dawn the truth—that Spike was alive—or undead at least—and had even been there that evening. But on the other hand, Spike had made him promise not to tell Buffy, and if Dawn knew, then Buffy would certainly find out. Yet, Spike had seemed anxious to see her earlier. Had he changed his mind about not wanting Buffy to know? Andrew wasn't sure. "Maybe you'll see him again someday," Andrew said. "Buffy came back from the dead. And didn't Angel do it one time, too?"

Dawn sniffled. "Yeah, but Spike, Buffy said he was on fire. Fire makes vampires dust. I don't think you can come back from dust."

Andrew pushed her hair back from her face. "Don't cry now, Dawnie. Just get some sleep, okay?"

Dawn nodded, her eyes closing. Andrew started to get up, but Dawn grabbed his hand. "Would you stay? I don't want to be alone."

"Dawn, I don't…"

"Please?" Andrew sighed, taking off his shoes and tie, lying next to Dawn. She rolled over, resting on his chest. Andrew froze for a second, but then relaxed. "Good night," Dawn murmured, already drifting off.

"Good night," Andrew replied. He pressed his lips gently to her forehead, breathing in the scent of her hair. Dawn smiled shifting a little beside him. Andrew closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep himself.

* * *

Dawn woke to the sensation of every inch of her body hurting. Even her hair felt sore. Her mouth was dry and icky, and the light coming in through the blinds was hurting her eyes. She sat up and immediately wished she hadn't. She ran to the bathroom, hands over her mouth. 

Dawn leaned down over the toilet, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep anything in her stomach much longer. She jumped slightly when she felt someone pull her hair back from her face, holding it behind her. "It's all right," Andrew said. "Just let it out, and you'll feel better."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Dawn felt embarrassed having Andrew see her like this, but her stomach didn't much care at the moment. Eventually, Dawn sat up again, wiping her mouth with a piece of toilet paper and then flushing. Andrew rubbed her shoulder. "Ugh. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Andrew said. "Happens to the best of us. How about you brush your teeth, and I'll go get you some water and aspirin?"

"Sounds good," Dawn said, standing up. When Andrew left the room, Dawn brushed her teeth then went back in the bedroom. Andrew was sitting on the bed with a glass of water and a couple of pills. He was still wearing most of his tux from the night before, although now it was considerably wrinkled. He looked up at her with concern, and Dawn smiled at him, taking the water and the aspirin. "Thanks," she said before swallowing.

"How are you feeling?" Andrew asked.

"Still ugh, but a little better," Dawn said. "I think I'm going to lie down for a bit."

"All right." He stood up. "I'll let you rest then. Oh, and just so you know, I'm not going to tell Buffy."

"Thank you," Dawn said, getting back into bed. Andrew nodded and started to leave the room. When he got to the door, Dawn called out to him. "Andrew?"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for taking care of me last night. And this morning, too."

"What are friends for, right?" Andrew said with a shrug. He tried to look calm, but Dawn could see the nervousness in his eyes, as if he was afraid she'd balk at his use of the word "friends."

Dawn gave him a warm smile. "Exactly. I'll be awake in a bit."

Andrew relaxed, returning her smile. "Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will."

Dawn closed her eyes as Andrew walked out and softly shut the door.

* * *

I don't know if I'm going to continue with this one or not. I just wanted to post it to see the reaction I'd get, so I'd know if it was worth it to write anymore. Leave a review and let me know what you think! 


	2. Chapter Two

"Feeling any better now?" Andrew asked as he walked into the kitchen.

Dawn swallowed the piece of bread she had been chewing. "A little."

"Do you need anything?"

"No. I just feel sorta blah." She held up a mostly-eaten piece of bread. "And I think this is about all I can keep down."

"Ah, bread. Breakfast of hung-over champions."

Dawn smirked. "Beats raw eggs."

Andrew shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Did Buffy say when she was getting back?"

"No," Dawn replied. "But you know how she gets when she's off with Morty." She bit into her bread again.

Andrew raised an eyebrow. "Morty?"

"That's what I can him in my head," Dawn explained. "'The Immortal' is so lame. Anyway, you know how she'll just disappear with him for days at a time, never bothering to call."

"They stay here a lot, too," Andrew offered.

"I think I like it better when they disappear," Dawn muttered. "Granted, I'd like to see Buffy a little more, but I hate him. I don't know why she bothers with him at all. Sure, he's all hearts and flowers now, but he'll drop her as soon as he gets bored."

"Buffy knows that. She's not looking for anyone to settle down with. Something about being cake batter, or something like that. She wants someone she can just escape with for a while, try to move past all the horror that was the last few months in Sunnydale."

"She's being irresponsible," Dawn snapped. "She spent so long having to worry about being the only Slayer that now that she doesn't, she's just cutting loose, not carrying about anything else around her."

"Maybe she deserves it."

"And maybe she's being reckless! Just because she's not the one and only Chosen One anymore doesn't mean she has to behave like she never was in the first place. This guy—'The Immortal,'" Dawn sneered as she said his name, "is trouble. He's not a good person—or whatever he is. He's got an obviously shady past, and if she had known him before she'd be all 'ooh, being with him is _wrong_.'" Dawn sighed, eating another piece of bread before speaking again.

"Look at how she was with Spike. He loved her—which _Morty_ so does not—and she acted like what they had was something to be ashamed of. But now she's flaunting whatever it is she has going on with this…this…smarmy bastard." Dawn frowned. "I'm still too hung over to come up with good insults."

"So this is about Spike again?" Andrew asked. His tone held a bit of nervousness, but Dawn didn't seem to notice.

"I…I guess. Partly," Dawn replied. "I didn't really give it much thought before, but yeah. Whether the soul atoned for what he did or not, doesn't really matter here, but what does matter is that she could so easily dismiss the wrongs Angel did, and now this guy, but never Spike. He sacrificed himself for her, and she runs off with someone like the Immortal."

Andrew shifted. "Maybe it's good that she's moving on. And who's to say Spike would even want to be here with her if he was still around? Maybe they would've gone their separate ways like most everyone else did after Sunnydale."

"I didn't say she shouldn't move on, just not with _him_." Dawn finished her bread. "All this talking is making my head kinda spinny. Wanna watch some mindless television?"

Andrew decided he was perfectly happy to let this subject drop. Discussing anything Spike related these days was moving him towards dangerous territory. "Okay."

Dawn smiled and walked with him into the living room.

* * *

"_Temple of Doom_ really is underrated as far as the Indy movies go."

Dawn scrunched her nose as Andrew held up the DVD. "Is that the one with Sean Connery?"

"No," Andrew replied, rolling his eyes as if she had just asked him something completely ludicrous, like if Quark was a Klingon. "That's the _Last Crusade_. This is the one with Kate Capshaw. It's the second in the trilogy even though it comes first in chronology."

Dawn waved her hand. "Whatever. Pop it in. At least Indy-era Harrison Ford is drool-worthy. And I'm a fan of the hat."

"It is a nice hat. And the jacket…" Andrew smiled to himself for a second before shaking his head and focusing on the television. He started the movie, then settled down on the couch, a bit of space separating him from Dawn.

Dawn scooted closer, wrapping her arm around Andrew's and resting her head on his shoulder. Andrew froze for a second before relaxing, letting Dawn get comfortable. He told himself that it didn't mean anything that she was currently using him as a human pillow. Friends did that all the time, right?

Indy had barely threatened Willie with a fork when Dawn moved again, this time laying her head in Andrew's lap. He stiffened again, all of his attention going to the woman who was squirming around in an attempt to get comfortable. Dawn glanced up at Andrew. "Is this okay? I needed to lie down."

As if he could ever ask her to move when she looked at him with _those_ eyes. "Yeah, sure, it's fine," he replied, really hoping his voice didn't just crack.

Dawn smiled and turned back to the movie, moving her head a few times in a last move to get comfortable. Andrew took a deep breath, eyes ahead on the movie.

It was going to be a long 118 minutes…

* * *

_There's an old saying, says that love is blind  
Still we're often told, "Seek and ye shall find."  
So I'm going to seek a certain lad  
I've had in mind  
Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet._

Dawn looked around, her brow wrinkled in worry. How did she end up in a 1930's style nightclub? She looked down at her attire. How did she end up in this dress?

"So you've chosen to go with the baby snails tonight. A wise decision."

Dawn looked up, frowning when she saw Andrew sitting across from her. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with a white jacket, a red carnation pinned to the lapel. "Baby snails?" She glanced at her plate. "I ordered the chicken."

"Chicken tastes like baby snails."

_He's the big affair I cannot forget  
Only man I ever think of with regret  
I'd like to add his initial to my monogram  
Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?_

Dawn looked over at the stage, where a woman who looked suspiciously like Buffy wearing a red, sequined dress was singing. "What's going on here?" she asked Andrew. "Where are we?"

"She doesn't know what she's singing, you know. She doesn't know what you want. You don't know what you want. She doesn't know what she wants."

"Huh? What are you talking about? And why are you dressed like Indiana Jones?"

"She doesn't know who you are either. She thought it would go away, but it can't. You can't make something like that go away. Don't you know that? Don't you know anything, Dawn?"

_There's a somebody I'm longing to see  
I hope that he turns out to be  
Someone who'll watch over me  
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood  
I know I could always be good to  
One who'll watch over me._

"Andrew, what are you talking about?" Dawn yelled. "Why are you saying these things? Where are we?"

"You're not ready yet. _We're_ not ready. You have so much you need to find out, so much to discover before things can be like they will be. You have to learn first." Andrew sighed. "It's going to hurt you. But I'll be waiting. I'll wait until it's time."

_Although he may not be the man some  
Girls think of as handsome,  
To my heart he carries the key.  
Won't you tell him please to put on some speed?  
Follow my lead, oh, how I need  
Someone to watch over me!_

"What will hurt? What do I have to learn? Andrew, please, just say something that makes sense!"

"Eat your snails, Dawnie."

"They're not snails, it's…" Dawn stopped, her words catching in her throat as she looked down to the plate to see a large, brass key where chicken had been only moments before. It emanated a strange, green light, and she reached out to touch it.

Dawn sat up with a start, looking around her. She was in the living room, Andrew sitting beside her. She stared at him for a moment. "Is the movie over?"

"Yeah. For a while now. You fell asleep."

"Oh. Why didn't you wake me up?"

Andrew stretched his legs a little. "You looked comfortable." He didn't want to admit he'd liked watching her sleep.

"You have a nice lap." They both colored slightly at Dawn's words, and they turned away from each other.

"So were you having a dream?" Andrew asked after a moment to break the silence.

"Yeah. It was weird. You kept telling me to eat my baby snails."

"Huh?"

"I told you it was weird. Buffy was singing on stage, and you were wearing the outfit that Indy had on at the beginning of the movie."

"Did you eat the baby snails?"

"No. There weren't any. It was chicken. It was chicken, and then it was…" Dawn stopped, looking away again as she remembered the rest of her dream. "Then it was something else."

"What?"

"I don't remember." After another moment of silence, Dawn said, "Hey, I think my stomach calmed down, and I'm feeling pretty hungry. Wanna go grab a bite to eat?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

"Great. I'll get dressed in something other than my grungy pajamas and we can go."

Andrew smiled. "I'll be waiting."

Dawn gave him a sideways glance, his echo of her dream startling her for a second before she shook it off and went to her room.

* * *

"What did he say the special was again?" Dawn asked once the waiter left their table. "I totally didn't catch that."

"Perciatelli con le lumache," Andrew replied.

"Huh?"

"It's a kind of pasta with, um, snails."

Dawn paled. "Snails? _Baby_ snails?" she asked, her voice nearing a whisper.

"I don't know. I didn't think to ask the age of the food… Are you weirding out because of your dream?"

"Think about it—I have a dream about baby snails and eating with you, and then we come here, and the special is snails. Don't you think that's kinda odd?"

"A bit of a coincidence maybe," Andrew said, "but I'm not wearing the Indy tux, and I'm not going to insist you eat the snails. Besides, isn't Buffy the sister with the prophetic dreams?"

"Yeah." Dawn sighed. "Just a freaky coincidence then."

"Do you want to eat somewhere else?" Andrew asked. "Someplace more, um, snailless?"

"No, this is fine. But I'm not eating any baby snails."

Andrew smirked. "Got it."

* * *

Dawn sat with Andrew on the balcony of the apartment, watching the lights of the Roman skyline at night. She leaned her head on his shoulder, smiling softly at nothing in particular.

"I had a good time today," Dawn said after a while. "Even if I did feel like I'd been beaten by a sack full of bricks and then run over by a truck for most of it."

"I did, too. Well, not the bricks and truck so much, but the good time."

Dawn giggled, then looked up at him. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, Andrew felt like he couldn't breathe. His feelings for Dawn had always confused him, and the current moment was no exception. Sometimes he thought he liked her as a friend. Sometimes he thought maybe it could be more.

Right now he really wanted to kiss her.

He leaned in slowly, giving her plenty of time to move away. His entire body shook with nervousness, and he knew that this had the possibility of being the biggest mistake he ever made.

"Dawn? Andrew? Either one of you home?"

Buffy's voice made Dawn jump away from Andrew so quickly that he toppled over, falling to the ground. She didn't look back at him, running into the apartment. "We're here, Buffy!" Dawn called to her sister.

Andrew sat on the floor of the balcony, looking in on the apartment as Buffy and Dawn started talking. Dawn didn't look back at him, and Andrew realized that he very well could've ruined whatever it was that they had. He ran shaky hand through his hair, and frown on his lips.

"Well, damn."

* * *

I realize that I was _incredibly_ slow with updating this fic, and I apologize profusely. I was taking five English classes in order to finish my major, and the workload got completely insane. However, things calmed down a bit, and hopefully I'll be able to update this and my other fics more regularly.

Also, a few reviews addressed Andrew's behavior in this fic. I realize that he isn't really acting exactly how he did in seasons six and seven of _Buffy_, but I did that for a reason. By "The Girl in Question," he seemed to have matured at least somewhat past the way he'd been on _BtVS_, and I'm trying to incorporate that into the story.

Review, please. :)


	3. Chapter Three

Dawn sat at the vanity in her bedroom, staring in the mirror. Andrew had tried to kiss her. Part of her wanted to fret about it, to wonder if maybe she'd been reading him wrong, but the way he'd been moving towards her could only mean one thing.

Andrew Wells, former Sunnydale Supervillain, wanted to kiss her, Dawn Summers, sister of the Slayer.

Dawn mulled that over in her head as she looked at her reflection, wondering what exactly it was that had drawn Andrew to her. She traced a finger over her lips as a smile crept its way to them unbidden. She thought that maybe she should be repulsed by the thought of kissing Andrew—or at least a little creeped out—but she wasn't. Instead, she felt a little thrill go through her.

She'd never given much thought to Andrew like that, but now that she was, she was finding that it wasn't as unappealing as she would've imagined. In fact, she was wondering what it would've been like if he actually _had_ kissed her. Would she like it? She smiled again, unable to stop the grin or the small giggle that accompanied it. Suddenly, the thought of kissing Andrew made her giddy with a sort of nervous excitement.

But then she frowned. What if this really wasn't anything? What if she was just responding to his actions without any real emotions of her own behind it? Was starting to see Andrew in a new light nothing more than feeling flattered that he noticed her?

Or what if it really hadn't meant anything? What if he had just been caught up in the moment, and he didn't really want her at all? After all, he had two gorgeous, sophisticated Italian girlfriends. What would he want with her?

Dawn's shoulders slumped. Who was she kidding? No one would want her over women like that. Hell, no one would probably ever want her period. Not even Andrew. She turned away from the mirror, and then got up, switching off the light before climbing into bed.

* * *

Andrew sat up stiffly when Dawn came into the kitchen the next morning. She hadn't spoken to him since the almost-kiss on the balcony, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was upset about it. Granted, he'd shut himself up in his bedroom almost as soon as Buffy had gotten home so Dawn hadn't really had a chance to say anything to him, but that didn't mean she wasn't upset with him. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, trying unsuccessfully to appear calm.

"I've slept worse," Dawn replied, going to the cabinet to get a cereal bowl. "Is Buffy awake yet?"

"No."

Dawn fixed her cereal then sat down at the kitchen island across from Andrew. He read the newspaper and nibbled at a piece of toast, keeping his head down. Both of them tried to act as if everything was normal, but the tension in the room clearly indicated otherwise.

Andrew glanced up, noticing that she was staring into her cereal bowl. She didn't say anything about it, so maybe she didn't hate him. Maybe she didn't even know that he wanted to kiss her.

But what if she did know? What if she'd told Buffy? Andrew paled. Buffy would kill him if she knew he'd even _considered_ making a move on her little sister.

It was just as that thought had entered his mind that Buffy made her appearance in the kitchen, mumbling a good morning as she went to the fridge. Andrew sat still for a moment before jumping up. "Nothing happened, I swear!" he yelled before rushing out of the kitchen.

Buffy blinked. "What's his problem?" she asked, jerking a thumb in the direction that Andrew had just run off in.

"Beats me," Dawn replied, poking at her soggy cereal with a spoon.

Buffy shrugged, dismissing it as more of Andrew's eccentric behavior as she poured herself a glass of juice.

* * *

Dawn lay on her bed and groaned. She could hear Buffy and "Morty" in the living room, acting like a couple of lovesick kids. It made her ill. She tried to ignore it, but it was impossible. The sound of Buffy's flirtatious laughter alone was enough to drive her towards insanity.

Finally unable to take it any longer, she got up, putting on her shoes and grabbing her purse. Buffy looked up when Dawn stalked into the living room and towards the door. "Where are you going?"

"Out."

"Take your…"

"Cell phone. I know, Buffy." Dawn walked out into the hallway, slamming the door as hard as she could.

Dawn got as far as the curb before she stopped. She sat down, tears stinging her eyes. She hated this, hated always being so miserable. She'd thought things had been bad in Sunnydale, but now they seemed almost worse in a way. At least there she felt like she had a purpose, even if it was just research assistant for the Slayer. Nothing felt like it had any meaning anymore. She was just floating, without anything to tether her down.

Displaced and alone, nothing felt right.

"Hey. You okay?"

Dawn wiped at her eyes as she heard Andrew come up behind her. Yet another thing to make things more complicated for her—possible romantic feelings for someone who she'd once found to be one of the most annoying creatures ever placed upon this earth. "I'm fine. Go away."

Andrew sat beside her on the curb. "No, you're not—and no, I won't. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything." Dawn sighed. "God, I don't even know."

"Wanna go somewhere? A movie or something?"

Dawn looked up at him, her eyes red. "Huh?"

"You seem lonely."

"I am, but I don't need you to fix it."

"I'm not, I just…I'm lonely, too."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "You have two girlfriends."

"You don't have to be alone to be lonely." Andrew stood up, holding his hand out to her. "Come on. We can find a theater showing American movies _'versione originale_.' No dubbing, I promise."

Dawn took his hand, a jolt going through her as she did. Andrew's eyes widened for a second, and she wondered if he'd felt it as well. She let him pull her to her feet. "I could go for something in a language I speak."

Andrew smiled as they walked off together.

* * *

Dawn had gone to movies with Andrew alone before. Sitting next to him in a darkened room had never seemed awkward before, but now she couldn't concentrate on the movie at all. She was too aware of his presence, her nerves set on end just by having him in the seat next to her.

She shifted, her arm rubbing up against his. They looked at each other, sharing a nervous smile. As his eyes went back to the screen, Dawn felt her courage rise. She scooted over a bit in the seat, moving closer to Andrew. When he didn't move away, she leaned just a bit, letting their shoulders touch.

Dawn stayed like that for a while, the feel of him so close giving her a thrill. Her dating life had never exactly been stellar, and she'd never done this before, never felt the tumble of emotions from this particular game. Feeling emboldened, she reached down where Andrew's hand was resting on the arm of the seat, entwining her fingers with his.

Andrew froze at the first brush of Dawn's hand against his. He took a deep breath, building up the courage to look over at her. Her eyes were glued to the screen, but as she felt his gaze on her, she turned. They both looked down at their hands for a moment before looking back up, their eyes locking. Andrew reached out, cupping her cheek in his free hand. When Dawn didn't move away, but nuzzled against it instead, he moved in, pressing his lips against hers.

The kiss was tentative at first, closed mouth with only a light amount of pressure. But as they both decided that this _was_ what they wanted to be doing at the moment, it grew, until a series of simple kisses had become a full-blown make out session.

While a part of her mind was screaming that this was Andrew and that should be somehow shocking, Dawn didn't care. Kissing him like this in the darkened theater was a rush, and she didn't want to stop. He was a better kisser than she ever would've imagined, and his touch was making her melt against him.

When the lights came on, Andrew and Dawn pulled away, both looking at each other in surprise. "Guess the movie's over," Andrew said lamely, a sudden awkwardness coming over both of them.

"Yeah, I guess it is," Dawn replied. She looked down at the floor, now sure what to do now.

"So, um, want to go get something to eat? I mean, unless you want to go home, then we could, um, do that."

"Eating sounds good," Dawn replied.

Andrew nodded, and left the theater, Dawn beside him.

* * *

As they walked down the street in search of a place to have dinner, Dawn felt the awkwardness grow. She wasn't sure what to do now. What had that meant? Should they be talking? Should she be holding his hand? She bit her lip, glancing up at Andrew to see him looking nervously around at everything but her.

"There's a good restaurant up here, on this street," he said after a bit, pointing.

"All right."

They didn't say anything else to each other, even after they'd reached the restaurant and were seated. They had already ordered their meals before Andrew finally spoke.

"So, um, what did you think of the movie?"

Dawn was tracing the design on the tablecloth with her finger. "I didn't really see much of it," she replied.

"Guess it wouldn't have mattered if we'd seen it dubbed, huh?" Andrew asked with a chuckle.

Dawn laughed back. "No, I guess not." She looked up then. "What was that exactly?"

"Um, kissing?"

"Kissing and then some," Dawn replied. "You copped a feel a couple of times there, buddy."

Andrew blushed. "Dawn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cross a line with you, and now I've probably ruined out friendship, and…"

Dawn held up her hands. "Whoa. Slow down there. It wasn't all you. I had busy lips and hands, too." She smiled slowly. "Besides, I, um, well—I liked it."

"You…you did?"

"Yeah."

Andrew smiled back. "Me, too."

Dawn blinked. "Really?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I'm…well, just me. And…and you have Caprice and Isabella."

"Dawn, you're ten times the woman either one of them is. Don't try to sell yourself short. You're…you're wonderful."

Dawn turned a deep crimson, and her focus went back to the tablecloth. "You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not. You think people don't notice you, but I do. I always have. When you walk in a room, you're all I _can_ notice."

Dawn looked back up sharply. "You're serious."

"I am."

She reached across the table, her palm turned upwards. Andrew took her hand.

* * *

When they got back to the apartment, Buffy was already asleep. They kept the light off in the living room, the moonlight trickling in through the windows all they had to see by. "Tonight was good," Dawn whispered.

"It really was," Andrew replied, whispering back.

"So…what happens from here?"

Andrew brushed her hair away from her face. She looked so beautiful in this light, and he felt his heart clench. "We'll have to see, won't we?"

Dawn smiled. "I guess we will. Good night, Andrew."

"Good night, Dawnie." He gave her a soft, almost chaste kiss. "Sweet dreams."

"You, too," Dawn replied. She started towards her room, but stopped, going back to Andrew. She took his face in both hands and kissed him hard before leaving him alone.

Andrew grinned. "Good" didn't even begin to cover it…

* * *

I'd sort of forgotten about this story, but then someone nominated me for an award, and it reminded me. (Thanks to whoever that was.) So, moral of this story—nominate me for lots of awards, and I'll write more. lol Just kidding—although reviews never hurt. wink 


	4. Chapter Four

Dawn woke up happy. She stretched languidly in the bed, a smile on her face. As she thought back to the night before, the smile grew. It was only nine o'clock in the morning, and she had nowhere to go, but she didn't feel like staying in bed any longer. She could barely make out the sound of the television in the next room, but it was enough to let her know that Andrew was awake.

She got out of bed and started towards the living room when she stopped, her hand on the door handle. She turned around, going back to her vanity and looking at herself in the mirror. She brushed her hair quickly, working out any of the tangles that had formed while she slept. Still not completely satisfied, she added a light sheen of cherry gloss to her lips and pinched her cheeks to make them rosier. She smiled again, pleased with what she saw now, and left the room.

Andrew was sitting on the couch, the television indeed on. Seeing him made all the nervousness she'd felt after leaving the movie theater come rushing back. What if now, in the light of day, he regretted starting anything with her? What if it had been fun for him then, but he'd rather be with Caprice and Isabella? She took a deep breath, reminding herself that this was still Andrew, and that he wasn't going to do anything horrible to her. If he really didn't want her, he'd probably at least let her down gently. She sat down beside him, trying not to look uneasy.

"Hey, Dawn," Andrew said, looking away from the television and at her. "You look really pretty this morning."

Dawn shrugged and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "It's the same way I look every morning."

"Well, you always look pretty." Andrew glanced behind him in the direction of Buffy's bedroom, making sure the door was still closed. When he verified that it was, he leaned over, giving Dawn a kiss. "Good morning," he said when he pulled away.

The same sort of smile that Dawn had woken up with crept to her lips. "Good morning."

"Are we still seeing what happens from here?" Andrew asked.

"I want to," Dawn replied. "I…I like you."

"I like you, too."

"That still shocks me a little," Andrew said. "I mean, you know me. The _real_ me—not who I've tried to be with the women I've met post-Sunnydale. You know I like comics and talk about _Star Wars_ a lot and that I role play, but you still like me."

"Maybe I have a Dungeon Master fetish," Dawn said with a wink.

"That may be the sexiest thing anyone's ever said to me."

"You know, I've never seen myself as much of anything either," Dawn said, getting serious again. "I've always felt sort of gawky and clumsy—like my feet are so far away from my head that I can't control where they go."

"You're not gawky," Andrew said, taking her hand and stroking it gently with his thumb. "And…and you've got really great legs."

"I…I do?"

"Yeah. They're long in a sexy way." Andrew blushed up to the roots of his hair. "You know, I worked really hard to develop this whole suave persona thing, but two seconds with you, and it's gone."

Dawn squeezed his hand. "Don't be suave—be Andrew."

"You really like it when I'm just myself? Because usually that makes people tell me I'm a loser and then run away."

Dawn saw the pain in his eyes when he spoke, and she thought back to how she'd treated him when he'd first showed up at her house as her sister's hostage. Granted, at that point he had only recently tried to kill Buffy, but she still wished she hadn't been quite so mean.

However, that was the past now. She could show him that she did like him with or without any suaveness. She slid closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He took his hand out of hers and wrapped his arm around her. "You're not a loser," Dawn said after a moment. "And I'm not going to run away. I like it here—with you."

"Which works out nicely, 'cause I like you here."

They both turned their attention to the television for a while, enjoying the feel of simply being close to each other. Andrew would occasionally reach up to stroke her hair, and Dawn sighed contentedly. Any of the awkwardness she'd still been feeling seemed to melt away now, and she felt completely comfortable there with him.

When Buffy's bedroom door creaked open, Andrew and Dawn jumped away from each other, both going to opposite ends of the couch. Buffy went into the bathroom without so much as a glance in their direction, and Dawn and Andrew shared a look of relief. For their own reasons, neither of them was ready to reveal their fledgling relationship to the third person in the apartment.

But then at the same time, neither one was in the mood to have to act like nothing was going on either. "Do you want to go somewhere?" Andrew asked.

"Like where?"

"It's Sunday. Wanna go to the Porta Portese?"

Dawn's eyes lit up. "Ooh. Shopping. I'm in."

Andrew kissed her on the forehead. "Great. Go get dressed, and we'll get out of here."

Dawn grinned brightly and hurried into her bedroom. Andrew leaned back against the couch, fighting a bizarre urge to giggle. He never would've thought just a couple of days ago that he'd be here with Dawn now, but he was—and he was deliriously happy about it. Maybe she didn't know how wonderful, how beautiful she was, but Andrew decided right then that he was going to show her.

* * *

Dawn stared at her closet full of clothes, panicking. What the hell was she going to wear? She realized that in light of recent events, this qualified as a date. Granted, Andrew had seen her at her worst—the hang over of two mornings ago coming to mind—but she still felt herself gripped by the irrational fear that a bad outfit choice now could make him lose this attraction he apparently felt to her.

She pulled top after top out of the closet, rejecting each one. Finally, she decided on a black spaghetti-strap one with lace trimming on the top and bottom. The straps were a deep blue, and a matching ribbon was threaded through the middle, a little beneath her chest. She chose a pair of black hip-hugger jeans that she'd always thought looked good on her, hoping Andrew would think the same thing. She added a necklace with a string of blue crystals and matching earrings before going to her mirror to put on her make-up. Her hands were shaky, and she cursed as she poked herself with her eyeliner.

Finally, she deemed herself ready to go out with—her boyfriend? Dawn frowned. Was that what Andrew was? Had they moved to the stage already where she could call him that? They hadn't discussed it, and honestly, she was afraid to. What if this was just a fling to him, or even a 'friends with benefits' sort of deal? She didn't think she'd be able to take it if he still wanted those tramps he'd been seeing either.

Dawn knew she should probably discuss things more with Andrew, but the fear that he might tell her it wasn't really anything prevented it. If it turned out in the end that he wasn't really expecting things to go anywhere with them, well, she'd just enjoy it now, blissfully ignorant to any bad that could happen. It was better that way.

Dawn went back into the living room, smiling to herself at the way Andrew's eyes widened a little when he saw her. Apparently she had chosen wisely as far as clothes went. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep," Andrew replied, coming over to her.

Buffy walked out of the kitchen. "You two are going somewhere? Together?"

"Shopping," Dawn replied. "I was bored—Andrew offered to entertain me."

"Then I'm sure it'll be a thrilling afternoon," Buffy replied, her sarcasm thinly veiled. "Be careful. Andrew, if you let any harm come to my sister, I kill you. Have a nice time."

Dawn bit her tongue at Buffy's remarks. Granted, they were the way Buffy _always_ talked to Andrew, and Dawn wasn't sure how much she actually meant them and how much of her saying them was just habit, but she didn't like it, especially now. She linked her arm with Andrew, giving her sister a defiant look. "We'll have a great time," she said. "See you later, Buffy."

Buffy raised an eyebrow at their joined arms, but said nothing. "See you, Dawn. Andrew."

Andrew pulled away from Dawn when they got out into the hallway. "Be careful with that. I don't want Buffy to hurt me."

Dawn blinked. "Geez, sorry. And it's not like she thought it meant anything." Dawn walked a little faster.

Andrew sighed, aware of the fact that he'd hurt her feelings. He caught up with her, taking her hand in his as they continued to walk. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean… It's just, well, your sister could probably kill me with her pinky, y'know."

Dawn giggled, and Andrew felt relief that he hadn't ruined things. "Buffy might not take things as badly as you think. She usually just ignores everything I do anyway."

"Except when you do something she doesn't want you to do. She usually notices that."

"Good point."

"But do you want to tell her? I'll risk my safety if that's what you want. She still has that rule where she doesn't kill humans, right?"

Dawn shook her head. "Let's just keep this—whatever it is—between us right now, okay?"

"Works for me," Andrew said, giving her hand a squeeze. "It's kind of like having you all to myself."

Dawn smiled, squeezing his hand back.

* * *

Dawn's hand remained locked with Andrew's as the walked through the market. She thought about how before, when she'd seen couples together this way she'd been jealous. She'd wanted someone's hand to hold, someone to walk with instead of always having to present herself as alone to the world.

They stopped at one booth, and as Dawn looked over the merchandise, she heard Andrew having a conversation with the vendor, an elderly lady. "What did she say?" Dawn asked as they walked away.

"That we make a cute couple." Andrew replied with a bashful smile. "She wished us luck in the future.'

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Sure she wasn't just saying 'ditch that horse you have over there and come marry my much more attractive daughter?'"

"No." Andrew chuckled. "Besides, even if she _had_ said that, _and_ her daughter was that hot Vulcan chick from _Enterprise_, there's still no way that I'd leave the girl I've had a crush on for like a year and a half."

Dawn stopped in the middle of the market, ignoring the complaints of the people behind her. "What did you just say?"

Andrew grew nervous. "What did I say about what?"

"The thing about you having a crush on me for a year and a half."

"Oh. That."

"Yeah, _that_. Is it true?"

"Dawn, we're sort of in the middle of a walkway here."

"I don't care. Answer my question."

Andrew sighed. "Yes, it's true. I've had a crush on you since Sunnydale. And I've always thought you were really pretty—even that night when we were running away from Willow."

"But why? There were so many people in that house more crush-worthy than me. Why _me_?"

"I don't know! I guess 'cause you talked to me, and you were nice to me sometimes, and…and when you look at me with those big blue eyes of yours, you have this way of making me feel like I'm really _here_." Andrew let out a deep breath.

Dawn stared at him, silent for a moment. "No one else even noticed me."

"I did. I always did. I told you that."

"I know. I guess I'm just having a hard time believing it."

Andrew smiled at her. "Well, believe it."

"I'm starting to." Dawn reached up, ruffling his hair, and he blushed.

"It's getting kinda long," Andrew said, smoothing his hair with his hands.

"I like it. It's cute." Dawn kissed his cheek. "Come on. I want to shop some more."

"Then shop we shall, milady."

* * *

As they were leaving the Porta Portese, Andrew reached down and slipped something into Dawn's hand. She opened her palm and saw that it was a silver bracelet with blue crystals dangling from it. "When did you get this?" she asked.

"When you were looking at all those shoes," Andrew replied. "I thought it matched your necklace and your earrings. And…and your eyes."

Dawn gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you. I love it." She stopped, handing him the bracelet and holding out her hand. "Help me with the clasp?"

Andrew did as she asked, then kissed the back of her hand. "Looks even prettier on you." They started walking again, their joined hands swinging lightly between them. "Do you want to go back home?" he asked after a moment.

"Not really," Dawn replied. "Can we find something else to do instead?"

Andrew was happy to hear her answer. He wasn't ready to go back and see Buffy either. "Anything you want."

* * *

Dawn and Andrew walked slowly on their way back to the apartment. They'd stayed gone for as long as they could, but they both knew that they had to let the day end sooner of later. "I guess this is for the best," Dawn said, taking another reluctant step. "I have school in the morning and all."

"And you did skip the last couple of days you were supposed to be there."

Dawn winced. "Noticed that, huh?"

"A little, yeah."

"Buffy didn't. Hell, I don't think she even knows I have classes on Saturdays." She kicked a pebble in front of her. "Stupid Italian schools and their desire to work me to death."

Andrew frowned. "I thought you were doing well."

"Yeah, well, the thing about that—I lied. I'm really not. And it's not like before in Sunnydale when I just wasn't trying—current truancy not withstanding. They expect me to know way more than the California school system did, so I was already behind when I came here. And then to make things worse, I can't learn enough Italian to follow a class discussion. My teachers make as much sense to me as the adults on Charlie Brown." Dawn sighed heavily. "The year's almost over, and I'm going to fail. With my luck, that'll be the one thing Buffy does notice. And explaining to her that the failing here isn't such a big deal and stuff so won't help my case."

"I could tutor you in Italian, Dawn. May not be much help for this year, but next year you could go back understanding it better."

"Thanks, but I doubt it'll do any good. I'm just too stupid for Italian school."

Andrew stopped, then grabbed her shoulders, turning her to look at him. "You are _not_ stupid. Don't even think that. You went through a lot, and then you had to adjust to a whole new culture. In light of what you've faced, it's amazing you're doing as well as you are. Don't ever sell yourself short, Dawn. You're nothing less than amazing."

Dawn blushed, her eyes looking downward. "Keep saying stuff like that and a girl might start to think it's true."

"It is." Andrew kissed her then, his hands moving from her face to her waist, pulling her into an embrace. Dawn felt herself reacting similarly to the way she had at the movie theater. Andrew's kisses warmed her, made her knees weak. Never would she have imagined that Andrew could possibly be such a good kisser, but one touch of his lips to hers, and everything else melted away.

When he pulled back for air, he reached up and stroked her cheek. "See—amazing."

Dawn smiled dreamily, her eyelids hooded. "Yeah, it was."

"I really, really don't want to go in," Andrew said.

"Me either. But we'll get to spend some more time alone together soon—right?"

"Of course! And…and we'll be in the same apartment at least."

"Yeah, that'll be good." Dawn sighed. "Time to go face the Slayer," she muttered.

Andrew gave her one more quick kiss. "We'll just have to make out when she's not looking."

"I like that plan," Dawn said with a giggle."

"Then consider it in place," Andrew replied, taking her hand and continuing to hold it tightly until they reached the front door.

* * *

Buffy leaned against the frame of the bathroom door as Dawn brushed her teeth. "You were gone a long time today," Buffy commented.

Dawn rinsed out her mouth and put her toothbrush back in the holder. "I was having a good time."

"With _Andrew_?"

"You know, Buffy, he's right out in the living room. He can hear you."

"I know. I was just…sort of surprised. Since when did the two of you hang?"

"We have before. Even back in Sunnydale."

"Huh? Where was I with this was going on?"

"Stopping the Apocalypse," Dawn said with a shrug. "When everyone else was out slaying ubervamps and stuff, Andrew and I ended up alone in the house a lot. So we'd hang. You know, watch movies, play cards, talk."

"Talk? About what? Comic books?"

"Again, he can hear you, so stop being such a bitch. And he is capable of talking about something other than comics, Buffy."

Buffy lowered her voice. "I'm not being a bitch. I'm just surprised. I never noticed you two being all buddy-buddy, and suddenly you're gone all day."

"Yeah, well, you don't notice a lot of things."

"Oh no. You are _not_ starting that again. I pay plenty of attention…"

"To what? To your stupid boyfriend?"

"Dawn! What is your problem? I'm sorry if you don't like the Immortal, but…"

"God, can you even hear yourself? 'The Immortal?' Come on, Buffy. Nobody worthwhile calls them something lame like that. It's not a name. It's like 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.' I mean, do you actually call him that in conversation? Is it like, 'Can you pass me the TV remote, The Immortal.' Or maybe, 'Who drank the last of the milk and left the carton in the fridge? Oh, it was The Immortal.'"

"Dawn…"

Dawn held up her hand. "Don't, Buffy. Just, don't. I'm going to bed."

"Fine. Good night."

"Good night."

Dawn shut her door and sat on her bed, tears springing to her eyes. She was tired of this, tired of Buffy always putting her last and pretending that Dawn was making it up. Dawn had thought that when Buffy stopped being the one and only Slayer that maybe she'd get a little more attention from the only family she had left, but instead Buffy seemed more interested in some guy, as usual.

* * *

Dawn wasn't sure how long she'd been crying when she heard the door open. She looked up to see Andrew standing in the doorway. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm great. Don't let the tears fool you. Where's Buffy?"

"She went out for a walk. Probably looking for things to kill." Andrew went over to Dawn and wrapped his arm around her, letting her cry against his shoulder.

After a bit Dawn sat up, wiping her eyes. "I got snot on your shirt. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I think I can handle a little Dawn snot," Andrew replied. He wiped her eyes gently. "You feeling any better?"

"A little. Thanks for letting me cry all over you."

"No problem. What are boyfriends for, right?"

"You're my boyfriend?"

"I…I guess. I mean, I thought that's what… Is that what you want, or…?"

Dawn nodded. "It's what I want. I just wasn't sure if it was what you wanted."

"It is."

"What about Caprice and Isabella?"

"Consider them dumped."

"Glad to hear it, cause I'm not good at sharing."

"I'm all yours, sexy." Andrew waggled his eyebrows.

Dawn giggled. "I'm going to go on to bed, okay? I'm tired."

"All right. Sleep tight."

"You, too."

Andrew kissed her before getting up, and Dawn had a smile back on her face when she climbed into her bed.

* * *

Didn't see very many reviews last time. Are people still reading this? Please let me know if you are. I need to know if I'm just wasting my time with it… 


	5. Chapter Five

All Dawn could see was white. White floors, white walls, white doors. She squinted, the brightness of it all hurting her eyes. She kept walking down a long corridor, glancing at the doors that lined the sides.

"Dawn!"

She stopped short. She knew the voice, though at the moment it sounded too far away for her to place it. She kept walking, her eyes now darting around in search of who was calling her.

"Dawn!"

The voice was louder, clearer now, and she knew who it was—Andrew. Still, she couldn't see him, but she realized he was behind one of the doors. Dawn grabbed the handle, shaking it with frustration when she found it locked. She looked down then, noticing a keyhole beneath the handle. She ran her hand over it, and the door began to emanate a shimmering green light. Suddenly, the door flew open and all the white was gone. Darkness engulfed her, pulled her in, and Dawn screamed.

"Dawn! Dawn, wake up!"

Dawn's eyes shot open. She was sitting in her bed, Andrew's hands on her shoulders. "Andrew?" she asked, her voice cracking.

He let go of her and pushed a lock of sweaty hair away from her face. "You're shaking."

"I had a nightmare."

"I figured. I was walking past your door on the way back from the bathroom, and I heard you scream." Dawn moved towards him, putting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms tightly around him. Andrew hesitated for a moment before holding her, trying to comfort her. "Were there any snails this time?" he asked once she'd stopped trembling.

Dawn chuckled, and Andrew smiled, pleased that his question had had the desired effect. "No snails," Dawn replied, sitting up again. "Just doors."

"Doors?"

"Yes. I tried to open one, and it was locked. But then when I touched the keyhole, the door opened, just like I was…like I was…"

"The key."

Dawn nodded and her shoulders slumped. "The Key—before it was just me—was green energy. When I touched the door, that's what I saw—green light. And in the dream with the snails, I saw a key that was surrounded by the same light."

"But you're not the key anymore, are you?"

"Giles said he thought the energy passed out of me after Glory failed, but how does he _know_ that? It's not like he did some sort of blood test to look for residual Key-particles floating around in there or something."

"Do the dreams seem to you like they have some kind of significance? Like they're maybe more than just regular dreams?"

"They don't feel like any other dreams I've ever had before. And this one…" Dawn shivered.

Andrew took her hand. "What made you scream, sweetheart?"

Dawn felt herself relax just from Andrew calling her "sweetheart." It made her feel safer somehow, knowing he was there for her. "When I opened the door, there was darkness. It surrounded me. I felt like I was drowning."

"How do you feel now?"

"Better, but still a little uneasy," Dawn replied. "Do you think maybe you could stay in here with me for a little while, at least until I fall asleep?"

"Yeah, sure."

Dawn lay back down, covering up with the sheet, then pulling it back a little for Andrew. He gave her a nervous smile before lying down beside her, stiffly on his back. "I'm not going to bite you, you know," Dawn said, amused by his nervousness. "I know you've shared a bed with a woman before, so you don't have to play the blushing virgin."

"That may be the case, but I've never shared a bed with a woman when her sister who likes sharp, pointy weapons was in the next room."

"Buffy came home?"

"Yeah, a little while ago. She woke me up when she was banging around in the kitchen. That's one thing that sucks about sleeping on your couch—Buffy's post-slaying fridge raids."

"Figured she would've shown a bit more concern about me screaming in the middle of the night," Dawn muttered.

"She probably didn't hear you. You only screamed once."

"Still, some alert Slayer she is. Besides, I've been told I scream loud enough to shatter glass."

"If Buffy had woken up, I wouldn't be here."

"Hmm. Good point." Dawn rolled on to her side, resting her head on Andrew's chest. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah." Andrew relaxed, putting his arms around her. "Are you comfortable?"

"Very. You make a good pillow."

"Is that a polite way of saying I need to work on my muscle tone?"

Dawn giggled. "No. It's a polite way of saying I like lying on your chest."

"Oh. Well, I'm good with that." Andrew glanced down at her, his heart clenching at the way she was looking up at him, like he was someone special—like he meant something to her. "You're beautiful," he said softly, not knowing any other way to describe what he was feeling at the moment.

Her response let him know she understood. She ran her hand down his cheek and said, " So are you."

Andrew gave her a long, slow kiss, keeping the contact between them soft and gentle. He broke away only to kiss her again, quickly this time, before she laid her head against his chest, her eyes drifting shut. Andrew pressed his lips against the crown of her head. "Have sweet dreams now, Dawnie."

"You, too," Dawn mumbled, already half asleep.

Andrew smiled as his eyes closed, too.

* * *

Dawn felt herself torn in two different directions. On the one hand, she was warm and comfortable and didn't want to move. On the other hand, there was a loud, obnoxious noise causing her head hurt, and she wanted to make it stop.

Before she could drift further into consciousness, the source of the warmth and comfort she'd been feeling moved. Much to her dismay, the noise persisted.

"How do you turn this damn thing off?"

Dawn blinked, the sound of a male voice coming from her bed waking her fully. She remembered then that she'd fallen asleep with Andrew, and realized that the sound was her alarm. She leaned over him, taking the alarm from his hands and turning it off before setting it back on the bedside table. "Sorry," she said. "That thing is obnoxiously loud."

"As long as it's over now," Andrew said, rolling over on his side. "It's nice waking up with you."

"As nice as waking up with two women?"

"Nicer," Andrew replied, kissing her. "Do Caprice and Isabella still bother you?" he asked after he pulled back.

"No. Yes. Well, maybe. It's just back in Sunnydale, you never had a date, like _ever_, but then when we left, you changed your image and started getting all these European women. I don't see how you can be satisfied with just me now." Andrew chuckled, and Dawn frowned. "Are you laughing at me?"

"No, sweetheart, I'm not laughing at you. Well, maybe a little." At Dawn's glare, Andrew kissed her forehead. "No, it's just, well, it's unbelievable that you don't know how incredible you are. You're more attractive than either Caprice or Isabella, and you're smarter and more interesting, too. Besides, dating two women at once—not all it's cracked up to be."

"Why not?"

"Tiring," Andrew replied. "They wore me out."

Dawn gave Andrew a sly smile, moving closer to him in the bed. "And you don't think _I_ can wear you out?" Andrew's eyes widened in surprise, and Dawn giggled. "Don't you have anything to say to that, Mr. Wells?"

Andrew pulled her to him, kissing her hard. Dawn froze at first, Andrew's sudden movement taking her by surprise, but she soon responded, her mouth melding to his as she wrapped her arms around him, one hand gripping his back and one of her legs wrapped around his. He rolled them over, pinning Dawn beneath him. She moaned against his mouth, tightening her grip on him. When he finally broke away from her mouth, he kept his lips on her, kissing from her jaw to her neck, finally reaching her ear and finding a spot that made Dawn gasp.

They froze when there was a knock at the door, and Buffy's voice sounded from the other side. "Dawn? Should you be up? Don't you have school today?"

Andrew and Dawn stared at each other, the knowledge that Buffy was one closed door away from catching them like a rush of cold water. The handle began to turn, and Dawn snapped to attention, knowing she had to do something. "Don't come in! I'm, um, getting dressed!" The door stayed shut, and Dawn and Andrew shared a look of relief. "I'll be ready for school in a bit," Dawn added.

"Okay," Buffy replied, still in the hallway. "Oh, do you know where Andrew is?"

Dawn felt her fear rise up again. Did Buffy know? Was this some sort of test? "He's not on the couch?" Dawn asked, feigning innocence.

"No. Maybe he went to meet one of his girlfriends or something." Dawn and Andrew shared another look, both catching the irony in Buffy's statement.

"Probably," Dawn replied.

"Oh well. You want me to make you some cereal?"

"Uh, sure."

"Chocolate, marshmallows, or both?"

"Both."

"Got it."

When they heard Buffy walk away from the door, Dawn and Andrew breathed simultaneous sighs of relief. "Figures this would be one of the few mornings that she decides to acknowledge my existence."

"I don't think she suspects anything, so we should be okay," Andrew replied.

"What are you going to do?" Dawn asked. "You're in here—in your pajamas—and Buffy thinks you've gone out."

"I'll just hide in here until she leaves. She usually goes out at least once during the day. I can pretend I came in while she was gone. She doesn't care enough about what I do to question me about it."

"That should work," Dawn said. Suddenly, she realized that she was still lying beneath Andrew, and she began to blush. "Um, you think maybe you could let me up?"

"Oh, um, sorry."

"It's all right. Honestly, I'd rather stay here with you, but…"

"Yeah, I know." Andrew pushed up off of her, sitting on the edge of her bed.

Dawn went to her closet, taking out her clothes. She almost started to undress when she realized that Andrew was in the room. She knew it was a little strange to have been all over him one minute and self-conscious around him the next, but she was all the same. "Could you maybe, um, turn around?"

"Oh, sure. Right. Sorry." Andrew did as she asked without hesitation. "I just wasn't thinking. I wasn't expecting a free show or anything."

Dawn laughed as she started to change her clothes. "It's fine, really."

When Dawn had finished dressing for school, she went over to Andrew, placing her hand on his shoulder. He turned around, smiling at her and taking her hand. "You're wearing the bracelet I gave you," he said.

"Well, I like it," Dawn replied. He tugged gently on her hand, and she let him guide her into his lap. "Almost as much as I like you," she added, tapping him on the nose with her fingertip.

Andrew cupped her cheek, bringing her closer still for a kiss. As with earlier that morning, it didn't take long for things to heat up between them, and Dawn had to force herself to pull away. "School, and Buffy, and…and stuff…"

"It's okay. We'll have more time alone together later."

"Promise?"

"You can count on it. Now off to school with you, missy."

Dawn giggled and kissed him one more time.

* * *

Dawn was paying even less attention in class than usual. It was math, which she tended to be able to follow on account of numbers being the same in both English and Italian, but at the moment she had more pressing thoughts on her mind.

She couldn't stop thinking about that morning and what had happened with Andrew. Kissing him had had quite an effect on her, and she couldn't help but be disappointed that Buffy had interrupted them.

However, what would've happened if Buffy hadn't shown up when she did? How far would things have gone? How far was Dawn ready to go? She knew that Andrew had been sleeping with Caprice and Isabella, and probably somebody before them, too—if not more than one somebody. Was he going to expect sex from her soon? And if he did, did she want to or not?

Dawn chewed on her bottom lip, drawing designs in her notebook as she contemplated the possibilities. She didn't think Andrew would push her towards anything she didn't want to do. He just didn't seem like that kind of a guy. But what if she decided she wanted to wait, and he couldn't? Would be go back to a woman who would give him what he wanted?

No, Dawn decided, Andrew wasn't like that either. And honestly, she wasn't even sure she wanted to say no if—_when_—it came to that. If they moved at the pace they'd already apparently set, it was going to be something that would come up soon. She'd have to give the matter some serious contemplation. It would be irresponsible of her not to.

Dawn wished she could talk to Buffy about it, but knew at best Buffy would freak out at the mere mention of Dawn considering getting all sweaty with Andrew. Honestly, Dawn figured that Buffy would throw Andrew out and forbid them from ever coming anywhere near each other ever again. Still, Dawn really wished she and Buffy had the kind of relationship where she could get sisterly advice on these sorts or things. For all her talk about wanting to "show Dawn the world" sometimes Buffy still seemed oblivious to how much Dawn had grown up.

Class came to an end, and Dawn pulled herself away from her thoughts, deciding to give the matter more attention when she had the time to really sort out her feelings.

* * *

Review please. And thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Reviews make me a happy little writer! 


	6. Chapter Six

Dawn smiled when she came home to find Andrew sitting on the couch watching television. The last few hours at school had been excruciating as she'd begun to miss him more and more. "Is Buffy home?" she asked.

Andrew looked up at her and smiled. "Nope. You've got me all to yourself."

"Good." Dawn walked over and sat beside him on the couch. "I missed you today," she said as she leaned in to kiss him.

"I missed you, too," Andrew replied when they broke apart.

Dawn snuggled up beside him. "What are you watching?"

"Uh, _Star Trek_. I'll turn it off." Andrew reached for the remote, but Dawn grabbed his hand, stopping him.

"No, it's okay. Finish your show."

"It's a tape. I can watch it later. You don't have to suffer through it."

"I'm not suffering. I want to watch it."

"I think we should just turn it off."

"What's wrong?" Dawn asked, frowning.

"I…it's just…I…" Andrew sighed. "I don't like being a geek in front of you."

"What, do you think if you watch _Star Trek_ around me I'll stop liking you?"

Andrew looked down. "Maybe."

"Andrew, I've seen you at your geekiest. I've seen you play Dungeons and Dragons while wearing a hooded cape. I've found your _Dragon Ball Z_ fanfiction. I know you've attempted to construct a functional lightsabre. Honestly, you don't have to hide what you like from me or try to act like someone else. You can be a complete and total geek around me, and I'll still want you. You're a good man, and I like who you are."

Andrew looked at her, awe in his eyes. He reached out, stroking her hair. "_bangwI__' SoH_."

"What was that?"

Andrew blushed, looking away from her again. "Just me being geeky."

Dawn rested her head on his shoulder. "As long as you didn't tell me I have a freakishly large head or something, I'm fine."

Andrew chuckled. "No, I didn't say that."

"So what's going on in the episode?" Dawn asked, turning her attention to the television.

"Kirk's trying to convince the people of the planet Organia to accept the Federation's help with the Klingons."

"Oh. Where are the Klingons then?"

"There," Andrew said, pointing to the screen.

Dawn frowned. "That's what Klingons look like? I thought they were all about the long hair and battle gear. And with really bumpy foreheads—like vampires on steroids. Those guys look like extras from a Kung-Fu movie."

"The ones with the foreheads are the later Klingons. These are the original Klingons. This was their first appearance on the show, and the make-up people were going for more of a futuristic Ghengis Khan."

"Oh. So how did they explain the change in Klingon appearance?"

"Um, they didn't really. There was one episode of _Deep Space Nine_ where they had to go back in time, and Dax asked Worf why the Klingons looked all different, but he just mumbled something about how his people didn't like to talk about it. It wasn't really a satisfactory answer to a seriously puzzling question of genetics, but at least there was an acknowledgement of the continuity issue." Andrew frowned. "I just totally over-geeked you, didn't I?"

"No, you didn't. I was interested—hence the whole me asking the question thing."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Look, maybe your other women would've freaked on you for being a geek, but that would make them shallow, skanky bitches. I don't want some jock. I want _you_. You're smart, and you're funny, and you have a personality." She reached up, playing with the curls of his hair. "And you're cute, too. I couldn't ask for more in a boyfriend than what I have with you."

"You make me feel so lucky. Like I don't really deserve this, but I'm getting it anyway."

"You deserve to be happy. And the way you make me feel—it's one of the most wonderful things to ever happen to me."

"I'm always afraid I'm going to mess everything up."

"Well, don't think that way, because you're not—especially by just being yourself."

"So even if I spent the next several hours ranting about how the prequels can never measure up to the original _Star Wars_ trilogy, you'd still want me?"

Dawn giggled. "Yes. Although I might start to wonder if you still want me if you can sit beside me for several hours and do nothing but talk."

"Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure having you close could distract me from just about anything—even _Star Wars_." He gave her a crooked grin. "So, you wanna make out?"

"Um, let me think about that for a moment…yes."

Andrew pulled her into his lap, situating her so she was straddling his legs. His hands rested on the small of her back at first, but as their tentative kisses became deeper, his hands wandered up, dipping beneath the hem of her shirt to feel her bare skin. Dawn alternated between gripping his arms and playing with his hair. She moaned into his mouth when his hips lifted slightly off the couch, and he pressed against her intimately.

When the broke apart to breathe, Dawn looked at him, her eyelids hooded and her lips swollen. "Still think I don't want you, geek boy?" she asked with a wry smile.

"I don't know. I think I might need a little more convincing."

"That can be arranged," Dawn replied, moving in to kiss him again.

* * *

Even though Andrew and Dawn managed to make it to opposites sides of the couch before Buffy walked through the door, Dawn felt herself blush as she had the sudden fear that Buffy would know exactly what they had been doing.

But she didn't. If anything she seemed…preoccupied. Buffy went into her bedroom without a word to the pair on the couch, only to come out a few minutes later with a bag thrown over her shoulder. "Are you going somewhere?" Dawn asked.

"I…I have to. Giles…his seers… There's a problem in L.A."

"What kind of a problem?" Andrew asked.

"I…I don't know. Something about Angel, and…and an apocalypse. I'm going to England to gather the Slayers. The seers think we're going to be needed."

"Oh god, Buffy—how bad is it?" Dawn asked.

"It'll be okay, Dawnie," Buffy said, trying to give her sister her best comforting smile. "I'll stop it like I always do, and then I'll come home."

Dawn got up and walked over to Buffy, worry clear on her face. "What's going on? It's…it's not the First again, is it?"

"I don't think so. The seers weren't completely clear on what it was, just that the Slayers are going to be needed."

"Do you want me to come?" Dawn asked.

"No. I want you as far away from it as possible. And before you complain, it's not because I don't think you're capable. I just…I don't know what we're dealing with, and I'd be able to fight better knowing you weren't in the thick of it, okay?"

Dawn nodded. "I can understand that."

"Good."

"Does Giles want me coming back to England?" Andrew asked.

"He did, but I convinced him to let you stay here," Buffy said. "I'd rather not leave Dawn completely alone. I figure if this thing does get out of hand, at least there's strength in numbers, right?"

Andrew's eyes widened in surprise. Buffy wanted him around her sister? Maybe she wouldn't be as adverse to their relationship as they'd previously thought. Not that now would be the time to push it…"We'll hold down the fort here," he said.

"Good," Buffy said. "I'll feel safer knowing you two are both here. But if things get bad—get to Giles, all right?"

"We will," Dawn said. "Are…are you going to see Angel?"

"I don't know. The seers think this is all connected to Wolfram and Hart, so I may be going there to kill him—again."

Andrew shifted nervously, wondering if maybe he should drop the whole "Spike's alive" bombshell. He didn't. "Angel didn't seem too evil when I was there," Andrew said. "A bit…single-minded, but not so evil—other than the fact that he is, you know, the CEO of an evil law firm hell-bent on unleashing the apocalypse."

"And it's that last part that worries me," Buffy said. She turned to Dawn, gripping her sister's arms. "I love you, Dawn. And I'm not saying that completely in an 'I might die' sort of way. I just…I just don't say it to you enough. You're the most important person in the world to me. I need you to know that."

Dawn felt tears stinging her eyes. "I love you, too, Buffy."

Buffy hugged her then, as tightly as she could without crushing Dawn. "Be careful, Dawnie."

"I will. You, too, Buffy. No more jumping off towers, okay?"

Buffy chuckled nervously, wanting to break the tension. "You got it." Reluctantly, she pulled away. "I'll call you as soon as I can, let you know what's going on."

Dawn nodded. "Okay."

"Well, I guess I have a world to save—again. Andrew, I'm trusting you with my sister. Remember that."

Andrew hoped he didn't look as guilty as he suddenly felt. "I will."

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Buffy promised, hugging Dawn one more time. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Buffy."

As soon as they were alone in the apartment again, Dawn went over to Andrew, burying her face against his chest as she cried. Andrew stroked her hair, trying to soothe her. "It'll be okay," he said softly. "Buffy's done this whole apocalypse thing before."

"Yeah, and two of them have killed her," Dawn replied.

"But she has all the Slayers to back her up," Andrew said. "She'll be fine, Dawnie."

Dawn looked up, her face tearstained. "You promise?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I want to go lie down for a bit."

"Okay," Andrew said, moving away from her.

"I, um, sort of wanted you to come."

"Oh. All right." Andrew stood, following Dawn into the bedroom.

Dawn got into the bed, waiting as Andrew nervously joined her. She moved into his arms, and he held on to her, kissing the top of her head. They were silent for a while until Dawn finally spoke. "I had sorta hoped this wouldn't be our life anymore. That she wouldn't have to be the Slayer anymore."

"She's always going to have to be the Slayer."

"I know. I…I wish it was different."

"I know."

"I'm worried about her. I hate to think about her so far away, facing who knows what."

"It's what she does, Dawn. She'll be fine."

"Wish I could convince my belly-rumblin's of that."

Andrew tightened his arms around her. "I wish I could, too."

"You holding me is helping."

"Is it? Good."

"Don't let me go."

"I won't." Andrew kissed the top of her head again. "That I can promise you."

* * *

Dawn woke, feeling disoriented. It was dark outside, and she was still dressed in her school clothes. She frowned as she remembered what had happened. Buffy…apocalypse…and Andrew. She sat up, realizing he wasn't beside her anymore. When she saw he wasn't in the room anymore, she felt a sudden grip of panic, and hurried out into the main part of the apartment.

She found him in the kitchen by the stove. "There you are," she said, her fear melting at the sight of him.

He turned around. "Yeah. It was getting late. I thought you might be hungry when you got up, so I came in here to start dinner."

Dawn crossed her arms over her stomach as it growled. "Guess I am a little."

"Good. It'll be ready soon."

Dawn sat at the island in the center of the kitchen, watching as Andrew finished making dinner. Even with the thought of her sister facing another apocalypse hanging over her, something about this made Dawn feel warm inside. It was so calm, domestic. Like they were just a normal couple, having dinner together in their apartment. She liked that feeling.

"The chicken may be a little tough," Andrew said, stirring something over the stove. "Sorry if it is."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Dawn replied. "You're a good cook."

"I try."

A few minutes later, Andrew set two plates on the island, one in front of Dawn and one across from her. "How is it?" he asked as he sat down.

Dawn took a bite. "Good," she said as she swallowed. "Think maybe I could kiss the chef?"

"That could be arranged," Andrew replied, leaning across to comply with her request.

Dawn smiled as they went back to their dinner. Maybe things would turn out okay after all.

* * *

Review please. Reviews inspire me to write more, after all…

Also, if you're interested in knowing when I update my fics, I've started an update alert list. There's a link on my author's page if you're interested.


	7. Chapter Seven

For the purposes of this chapter, italicized quotes indicate that the speaker is using Italian.

* * *

After dinner, Dawn and Andrew went back into the living room, deciding to watch a movie. Andrew could tell Dawn wasn't paying much attention to the television, and he knew Buffy's departure had to be bothering her. He wished he could do something to make it all better for her, but knew he really couldn't. Instead, he simply did the best he could. He wrapped an arm around her, and Dawn immediately slid closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder. She seemed to relax some, and Andrew was grateful for that. He was glad to see he could ease her pain, even if it was only by a little.

"I'm not going to school tomorrow," Dawn announced.

"I wasn't going to try to make you."

"Good. I want to spend the day with you, here in the apartment. Not sure I could deal with much else."

"That's fine with me. We won't even have to get out of bed if you don't want to." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Andrew blushed. "I didn't mean…just you know, if you're tired and you want to stay there, and…" He sighed. "Why do I even try to speak?"

Dawn smiled. "I knew what you meant. Although honestly, I'm not opposed to the idea of staying in bed for some naughty fun time."

Andrew's blush grew darker. "But, um, you're upset, and…"

"And I'd want you regardless. It's not taking advantage of me, so don't even say it." She gave him a wicked grin. "But it would take my mind off of the possible impending doom."

"Well, yeah, but still…part of me, feels like all of this is taking advantage of you. Like maybe you have some head trauma we don't know about, and the only reason you're with me now is because it's made you think I'm worth your time."

Dawn elbowed him. "I do not have head trauma. You're a good guy, Andrew. You make me feel damn lucky."

Andrew smiled at her shyly as he tucked her hair behind her ear. "You make me feel pretty damn lucky, too. I've been happier these past few days than I've ever been in my entire life, and it's all because of you."

"You make me happy, too. I keep finding myself smiling for no reason other than the thought of you being in my life."

"Me, too."

Dawn started to kiss him, but stopped when there was a knock at the door. Andrew sighed. "Do we have to get that?" he asked.

"It could be important," Dawn replied.

Andrew grumbled and got to his feet, walking over to the door and opening it. His eyes widened when Caprice came rushing in, kissing him in between declarations of how much she'd missed him. Andrew stood frozen in shock for a moment, only to come out of it when he heard Dawn's bedroom door slam shut. His stomach knotted. This wasn't good…

Andrew pulled back, leaving Caprice looking stunned. "_What is going on here?_" she asked.

"_Caprice, we need to talk_," Andrew began, knowing it was one of the lamest and most over-used beginnings of a break-up ever, but he didn't know what else to say. He had to get Caprice out of there soon so he could smooth things over with Dawn.

Caprice moved towards him again, running her hands down his chest. "_But I did not come here to talk._" She leaned forward and nipped at his ear.

Andrew quickly pushed her away. "_Caprice, I'm sorry, but no. We…we can't do this anymore_."

Caprice's initial reaction was confusion, but it quickly changed to anger. "_What do you mean? You cannot possibly not want me!_"

Andrew grimaced, knowing this wasn't going to go smoothly. "_I'm with someone else now, Caprice._"

"_That's it? That doesn't mean you can't still be with me, lover_." Caprice came up to him again. "_I shared you with Isabella. I can share you with her_."

"_Dawn doesn't want that sort of relationship, Caprice, and neither do I. She's…very important to me._"

"_Dawn! That pathetic little girl you told me was only a roommate?_"

"_She is _not_ pathetic, or a little girl. And…things have changed between the two of us. She's more than only a friend to me now._"

"_Where is she?_" Caprice demanded, pushing past him.

"_Caprice, don't do this. Just leave, all right?_"

"_No! That child can't do this to me!_" She stormed over to the bedroom and threw the door open, finding Dawn sitting on the bed. Caprice grabbed Dawn by the arm and dragged her out of the room. "_Baldracca_!" she screeched at Dawn. "How dare you steal my man? You are nothing! You will never please him, and he will soon tire of your attempts!"

Andrew pulled Caprice back. "Stop this!"

"No!" Caprice tore herself away from Andrew, then slapped him hard across the face. "_I hate you! You and your dirty little whore!_" She flew at Dawn, only to have Dawn grab her. Dawn twisted Caprice's arm behind her back and pushed her against the wall, face first.

Dawn leaned down, her mouth near Caprice's ear, and said menacingly in Italian, "_If you come near me or Andrew again, I will rip off your head and drink from your brainstem. Understood?_"

Caprice's eyes widened and she trembled in fear. "_Yes.__ I understand._"

"_Good._" Dawn shoved Caprice against the wall one more time for good measure, then let her go. "_Out of my home, _baldracca."

Caprice glanced nervously between Andrew and Dawn, then ran from the apartment. Andrew looked over at Dawn and started to speak, but she held up her hand. "Don't."

Dawn went back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. When Andrew heard the lock click, his shoulders slumped. With a heavy sigh, he closed and bolted the front door before going to sit on the couch. The events of the past few minutes replayed in his head as he rested his chin in his hands and muttered to himself.

"_Merda_."

* * *

When a while had passed and Dawn hadn't come back out, Andrew had decided to just go to sleep on the couch like normal. However, as he lay there in the dark, he found that all he could do was stare at the ceiling with a million thoughts running through his mind. Things had been going so well with Dawn, and now this. And with the worst possible timing, too. Dawn had been upset enough already with Buffy having to go to LA, and this had to only make things worse for her. Andrew felt like such a jerk. Dawn was hurting, and it was his fault.

"Andrew? Are you awake?"

At the sound of Dawn's soft question, Andrew bolted up. He hadn't even heard her leave her room. "I'm awake."

Dawn walked over, sitting on the end of the couch opposite from Andrew, facing him with her knees pulled up to her chin. Moonlight came in from the window, bathing her in a soft glow, and Andrew could tell she'd been crying. He felt even more horrible.

"You told me you were going to break up with her—with both of them."

Andrew looked down, the hurt on Dawn's face too much for him to take. "I know. And I was going to. I'm so sorry, Dawn."

"Why were you waiting? Why hadn't you done it already? You should have."

"I know. And I feel really bad, okay? It's just, well, I don't really know how to break up with someone. I've never done it before. And…and I tried getting in touch with them, but I only got their answering machine, and that seemed like the wrong way to do it."

"That was really rough for me, Andrew. Seeing some other woman kissing you and then having her attack me like that—not my idea of a fun evening."

Andrew ventured to look up. "I know. And I can't even begin to tell you how bad I feel about all of it."

"You told me Caprice and Isabella were gone, and I believed you. We're just starting out, and I need to be able to trust you."

"I know. And you can, really. I wasn't trying to lie to you about them, I promise. The situation just…got out of hand."

"My whole life was a lie," Dawn said softly. "Everything I remember from my childhood is nothing but a fabrication. I need to know I can take things as the truth now."

"I'm really sorry, Dawn. The last thing I'd ever want is to be dishonest with you." Andrew tried not to grimace as that statement brought forth an image of Spike to his mind. "I l…like you a lot. I don't want to hurt you."

Dawn reached out and put her hand on Andrew's leg. "Just don't let anything like that happen again, all right?"

Andrew took her hand in his, feeling the tension drain out of him as he realized he hadn't lost her. "You got it. So does this mean I'm forgiven?"

"Yes. But you better be really, really nice to me for the next few days, buddy."

Andrew smiled. "I think I can handle that."

Dawn stood up and held her hand out to him. "Let's go to bed. I missed you."

"I missed you, too," Andrew replied, taking her hand. They walked together into the bedroom, and Andrew noticed the lamp beside her bed was on. He wondered if she'd even been able to attempt to go to sleep.

"Your cheek is really red."

At Dawn's comment, Andrew touched his face and hissed slightly at the contact. "Yeah. Caprice really whacked me good."

Dawn kissed the injury softly. "I guess I'll go easy on you and not bruise the other one then."

"Gee, thanks," Andrew replied. Dawn giggled. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"I spoke Italian. When Caprice pissed me off, I didn't even think about it. I just started talking."

"You're good with languages, Dawnie. You probably know more Italian than you think you do."

"I know how to say 'brainstem,' apparently."

"That was quite scary by the way."

"It's something Spike used to say to me when I got him angry." Dawn's expression clouded. "I miss him."

Andrew knew this would be the perfect moment to come clean. Surely Buffy would see Spike in LA, and it wouldn't need to be a secret anymore. But after Dawn had seen him not dumping Caprice and Isabella as soon as her said he would as him being dishonest, he knew she wouldn't be too happy with learning the truth about Spike. She'd just forgiven him, and he didn't want her upset with him again. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sure he knew you cared about him, Dawnie."

"Maybe. Things were so strained between us." Dawn sighed. "I'm tired. It's been a really long, emotional day, and I just want to get some sleep."

Andrew was relieved to see the Spike conversation was over. "Sleep it is then."

They got into the bed and Dawn turned off the lamp before rolling over and snuggling up beside Andrew. He stroked her hair. "I really am sorry about what happened with Caprice tonight."

"It's all right. Well, not really _all right_, but it's over. And I know you weren't planning on still seeing her or anything, so you're forgiven."

"You're really the only woman I want, Dawn."

Dawn lifted her head to kiss his cheek before settling back down against his chest. "I know. I think that's starting to sink in for me."

"Good, because it's the truth." Andrew kissed the top of her hair. "We'll have a better day tomorrow, Dawnie. I promise."

"Can we do that staying in bed thing?"

"I wouldn't be opposed."

Dawn chuckled. "Good." Her eyes drifted shut. "Good night, sweetie."

Andrew smiled, feeling completely at peace with her there in his arms. "Good night, my princess."

* * *

I know I took too long between posts. My muse for this fic was being quiet.

Thanks to all my reviewers so far. Keep the reviews coming, and I'll keep the fic coming. (Reviews are like coffee for my muse…)


	8. Chapter Eight

This chapter deals with some issues regarding sex. There's nothing graphic or all that explicit, but there's some talk and a bit of action (though nothing that isn't allowed on this site). If that bothers you, don't read it. I've made sure it adheres to the guidelines of this website, but I still wanted to put this warning here just in case.

* * *

Dawn stretched in the bed next to Andrew, deciding this waking up with her boyfriend thing was something she could get used to. It was as wonderful as she'd always imagined, with every time she did it seeming better than the last. Even with the dark shadow of Buffy being off fighting another apocalypse hanging over her, she could be positive about this day. She always wanted to wake up this happy.

Andrew was still sleeping, and Dawn propped up on one elbow to get a better look at him. She couldn't stop the wide grin that spread across her face or the warmth that seemed to burst straight from her heart. Just watching him sleep could make everything perfect.

Dawn realized with a start that this had to be love. Nothing else could possibly make her feel this way. She was in love…with Andrew. She let that thought sit in her mind again, turning it over and over until she smiled again. It felt _right_, thinking of Andrew in terms of being in love. She reached out and touched the side of his face, and his eyes opened.

Andrew smiled warmly as he saw her. "Hey," he said sleepily.

"Hey yourself."

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, stretching a little.

Dawn moved back down, resting her head on his chest. "Mmm. I did. Had good dreams all night. Must've been from sleeping on my favorite pillow." She could feel Andrew's chuckle reverberate through her, and it made her tingle. "Can we just stay like this all day?"

"That was the plan, wasn't it?"

"It was. And I still think it's a good plan." Being so close to him made Dawn want more, though she wasn't sure how much or how even how to initiate it. And if they started something now, in the bed, with no one around to interrupt them, would things go too far?

Before Dawn could make up her mind, Andrew asked, "Can we put the plan on hold for a moment? I have to use the bathroom, and that's probably something I should get up for…"

_Oh, right_, Dawn thought, _Reality and all that_. She sat up. "Sure."

Andrew gave her a short kiss that still managed to make her toes curl. "I'll be right back."

He left the room, and Dawn lay back down, resting her face against the pillow he'd been using. His scent still lingered on it, and she breathed it in. She'd never thought of people having distinctive scents that could be noticed with anything short of vampire senses, but with Andrew, she could. And she loved it, loved the way it could affect her.

_And she loved him…_ Dawn let that thought come back to her mind as a reminder of the conclusion she'd reached earlier. It made her giddy.

When Andrew came back, Dawn got out of the bed, responding to his curious look by saying, "I should go, too. I mean, if we're going to be here for a while, then…" Her voice trailed off as she blushed.

"Yeah, okay," Andrew replied, running his hand through his messy curls.

Dawn went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She hated how she could go from feeling completely relaxed with Andrew to feeling nervous and awkward within a matter of seconds. It made her feel all jumbled up, never knowing what emotion was going to come next.

She used the toilet, then went to the sink, looking at herself in the mirror as she washed her hands. She wondered what Andrew thought of her first thing in the morning, if he still thought she was pretty with her hair uncombed and her eyes a bit puffy. She thought he looked adorable when he'd just woken up, but what if he didn't think the same about her? She picked up a brush from the counter and worked it through her hair. Satisfied with that, Dawn turned towards the door, stopping quickly and facing the sink again when she remembered the evil that was morning breath. She knew that when she got back into the bed with Andrew there would be at the very least some kissing, and even though their breath hadn't proven to be much of a problem the last time, she wasn't going to take any chances.

When she finally decided she was presentable, Dawn walked out into the hallway, frowning when she heard noise coming from the kitchen. Wasn't he supposed to be in the bedroom? She went to the kitchen door, peeking in. "What are you doing?"

Andrew glanced over his shoulder from where he was standing in front of the stove. "Breakfast. Go wait for me in the bed, and I'll join you in a minute."

Dawn grinned. Breakfast in bed with Andrew. She liked the sound of that. She blew him a kiss before leaving the room.

Andrew turned back to the stove, whistling to himself as he finished cooking.

* * *

Andrew stopped in the doorway, gripping the tray he was holding tightly as his gaze fell on Dawn. Her face was turned towards the window as she lounged casually on the bed. He could tell she hadn't purposely tried to make herself alluring, wasn't waiting for him with some come-hither pose, but this, just the simple beauty he'd come to associate with Dawn was more than enough for him.

Dawn turned, smiling as she saw him, and it took his breath away. He remembered describing her once as having a smile that could light up the room, and he thought now of just how true that was. He'd never known anyone so aptly named. _Dawn_… That's what she was. Bright and shining warmth. New life.

_Too good for someone like him…_

He knew, to be fair to her, he should get out now. Eventually Dawn would realize how worthless he really was and that would cause her more heartache than if he stopped things now before they went too far. But he couldn't. Even if he knew it was selfish of him to stay when all he could manage to do was hurt her im the end, he couldn't walk away now. He'd already gotten more than he ever could've hoped for, but he wasn't going to refuse anything she offered.

Andrew joined her on the bed, setting the breakfast tray in between them. "I figured we should go ahead and do something to head off any hunger that may bring us out of this room."

Dawn leaned across the tray and kissed him. "Good thinking, sweetie." She caressed the side of his face and giggled. "I love how I can make your ears turn pink." She pushed his hair back. "They're getting redder."

"I can't help it around you."

"It's cute."

"Am I only cute when I'm blushing?"

He asked the question teasingly, but Dawn could hear the hint of insecurity in his voice. "I always think you're cute."

Andrew smiled. He could live with cute. It beat repulsive after all. "So, hungry?" he asked, trying to make himself stop blushing.

Dawn looked down at the omelette and strawberries with cream he'd brought in. "Yeah. Looks good."

Andrew split the omelette in half, and they were both silent as they ate, trading glances throughout the meal. Dawn felt like maybe eating breakfast in bed with your boyfriend should go a little differently, should be more romantic somehow, but she was nervous and unsure of what to do. But as she ate a strawberry and saw the way Andrew watched her as she did, she felt herself growing braver.

She picked up another strawberry, this time dipping it in the cream and bringing it to her mouth, licking the cream off slowly before eating the strawberry itself. Andrew's eyes stayed transfixed on her mouth, darkening to a midnight blue as his body shivered with each pass of Dawn's tongue over the ripe fruit.

Andrew's response both emboldened her and filled her with pride. She had barely done anything at all—hadn't even touched him—and she'd gotten him like this. Deciding to see how farther she could push things here, she picked up another strawberry, this time feeding it to him. Much to her delight, he played right along, feeding the next one to her even as his hand trembled.

It didn't take Dawn long to notice Andrew wasn't the only one being affected. This was what she'd been expecting from a shared breakfast in bed. She dipped another strawberry in the cream, only this time she ran it up the side of Andrew's neck, leaving a trail of the sweet, sticky substance that she followed with her tongue, hearing him take in a breath with a sharp hiss. Dawn pulled up then, bringing the strawberry to her lips and running her tongue around it before sliding it into her mouth.

Dawn licked her lips slowly, and Andrew reached his breaking point. He put the tray on the floor and pulled Dawn into his arms, their mouths meeting almost violently. Her normal taste was mixed with the flavor of the strawberries, and Andrew moaned, his fingers taking hold in her hair.

Dawn let him guide her down to the mattress, his body covering hers. It was what she'd been wanting all morning, this losing of herself with him. Nothing outside the room matter then. Not the upcoming apocalypse or failing school—any of it. Nothing but Andrew and how wonderful it was to kiss him.

She wasn't sure how long it had been when Andrew pulled away, leaving her panting. Her mind was spinning, and she struggled to find her voice in order to say what kept running through her mind. "Why'd you stop?"

"We…we need to establish boundaries."

"Huh?"

Andrew moved off of her and sat beside her. "I need to know how far I can go, Dawn. I don't want to push you."

Dawn didn't want to think. It felt too good when he was touching her, and she just wanted more of that. But she also knew he was right. Later, when her thinking was clear again, she might regret any rash decision she made here, and that could hurt their burgeoning relationship. She needed to let her mind have some control here. She sat up. "I…I don't think I'm ready for, you know, _that_." She blushed, turning her eyes away from him before asking softly, "Is that okay?"

"Of course it's okay. I want you, Dawn—I won't lie about that, because well, I think you probably felt how obvious that is a minute ago… But I'm not going to push you into something you're not ready for. I'm not that kind of guy, Dawnie…I'm not."

Dawn smiled at him. "I know you're not." Nevertheless, hearing him say the words made her relax, alleviating a lot of the concerns she'd been having. She wasn't ready now, but she felt like she could be ready soon, and knowing that he was willing to wait made working towards that decision easier for her. Still, she needed more than just heated kisses. They were good, but they'd set her whole body on fire, and she didn't think it would be a misstep to take things a little further. "We could do a bit more," Dawn told him. "Just not…all the way."

"How far?"

Dawn bit her lip in a way Andrew found incredibly too enticing. "I don't know. You're the one with the experience."

"It's not that much. And…I've never been the experienced one before. I don't know how far is going to be too far for you."

Honestly, Dawn didn't either. She wished this could be easier, that she could have a nice, orderly list in her mind telling her exactly when she should move to each next step. Maybe a checklist with some sort of timeframe to work in. But she didn't. These decisions were facing her now, and she had to make him. Her brow furrowed as she thought carefully around how to answer. "Touching?" she said after a moment.

"On top of clothes or under?"

Dawn hadn't considered that. Things kept seeming more complicated. "Under," she decided. She wanted to feel him against her skin.

"North or south of the waist?"

More decisions. "North for now. Maybe more in a little bit."

Andrew nodded his consent, swallowing hard. Boundaries set, he guided her back down on the bed, kissing her again.

* * *

Andrew lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. Somehow, they'd managed to cross over that "north" line, pushing things further than he'd intended. And to make matters worse, he'd proven himself a loser by severely embarrassing himself…

He saw Dawn lean over, and thought in a moment of panic that she was leaving. Then he realized she was only getting a Kleenex from the nightstand to clean herself off with. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

Then she _did_ get out of the bed, and Andrew felt the fear clench cold around his heart. She left the room, and he fought the urge to cry. How could he have done that? She had to hate him now. God, and she should. He was such a careless bastard. She was a goddess, and he'd dared to do something like that to her.

He heard the sink running in the bathroom, and wondered if he should leave. What would she say to him when—if—she came back into the bedroom? Could he stand to hear her tell him how horrible he was? Before he had a chance to decide, she was there again. Andrew braced himself, waiting for whatever grim fate awaited him.

She climbed back in the bed, resting her head on his chest. Andrew blinked. Why wasn't she yelling, telling him to get away from her? Dawn laced her fingers with hers. "I really liked that," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Huh? You did?"

Dawn's expression went from pleased to panicked in a matter of seconds. "Well yeah…did…did you not like it?" Her mind started ticking off a list of everything she could've done wrong, every little thing she could possibly conceive of that would make him want to go back to more experienced women like Caprice and Isabella.

"Of course I did. I…um…I just…um…I got you all messy."

Dawn giggled. "Yeah, so? I like that I can have that effect on you."

"You…you do?"

"Yeah. I mean, sure, it was sort of a shock the way it happened, but it's all right. Made me feel all…womanly."

Andrew couldn't believe what she was saying. He'd been sure he'd ruined everything, and now she was telling him she _liked_ it. He couldn't be this lucky. The universe had to be screwing with him somehow, bringing him up so it could brutally tear him back down.

But at the moment, he didn't care. He had Dawn now. She nuzzled against him, and he kissed the top of her head before resting his head back on the pillow, a goofy grin on his face.

* * *

I am so sorry I waited a month between postings. I feel horrible about it. Between real life stuff and a serious muse related dry spell, it couldn't be helped. Again, I am really, really sorry. I hope you're all still reading this.

Also, a lot of people have expressed that this fic seems to be nothing but a sappy love story. I know that's how it appears now, but it really isn't. It's more the calm before the storm…

This version has been edited for content. If you're over 18 and want the full text, email me. If you're under 18, don't try to get it and put me in a lot of trouble.

Please, review if you're still enjoying the fic. I need to know that people are interested in this.


	9. Chapter Nine

Dawn was having a decidedly good time in the bed with Andrew. The longer they stayed there, the bolder she got, and it wasn't long until she found herself lying next to Andrew, skin to skin. And still it didn't feel like enough. She wanted his hands everywhere, wanted to feel him all over her.

Andrew could tell how worked up she was getting. He didn't have much experience when it came to these matters, really, but he also knew it wouldn't take much to get Dawn to have sex with him right now. She was into the moment, and would probably go along with just about anything he pushed for.

Which is why he stopped. Dawn was important to him, and he knew it would be her first time. The last thing he wanted was to have her regret anything that happened between them. He wanted her, but he also wanted there to be decisions made before any actual sex took place. That choice needed to be made in something other than the heat of the moment.

Dawn looked at him in confusion when she realized he'd stopped. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Everything's perfect," Andrew assured her. "We've just gone far enough for right now."

"I…I'd be all right with going further," Dawn said.

"I know you would. Right now. But later, you might not feel the same about it."

"I know what I want, Andrew," Dawn snapped. "I'm ready for this."

"You think that, but…"

Dawn sat up, using the sheet to cover herself. "I'm not a child."

"And I don't think you are! But…" Andrew ran his hand through his already mussed curls. "Look, if you're ready for it now, you'll still be ready later, right? I don't want to push things with us. We haven't been together very long, and while it's all been wonderful, it's going too fast. Let's slow down just a little bit."

"Um, isn't that the speech the woman is supposed to be making?"

"I'm just trying to look out for you, Dawn," Andrew replied tersely. He got out of the bed, finding his clothes and putting them on.

"Where are you going?" Dawn asked.

"I told you, we're done for now. I'm going out into the living room."

"You're upset with me."

"A little. This is frustrating."

"Then let's make it not frustrating!"

"No! And wanting to slow down doesn't make me any less of a man, all right?"

Dawn realized then what was upsetting him, and congratulated herself on having at least a bit of insight, even if it was only after managing to stick her foot in her mouth. "Andrew, honey, I don't think you're any less of a man for that. What I just said…I didn't mean it that way, okay?"

Andrew's shoulders slumped a little. "I know. And I'm sorry I got snippy with you. It's just…it's a touchy subject. My masculinity—or lack there of—has always been a problem for me."

Dawn patted a spot on the bed in front of her. "Come here and talk to me about it?"

"I don't want to. It'll change the way you look at me."

"Having a conversation will do that?"

"This one will! Dawn, please, don't make me do this…"

"Andrew, I'm your girlfriend. If you can't open up to me…"

"I can't open up to anyone. And that's the way it should be."

Dawn felt like she was going to cry. They'd been physically intimate all day, but she wanted this type of intimacy with him as well. The thought of him shutting her out like this hurt her a lot. "Andrew—we can't have a real relationship if you don't open up to me."

"I don't talk about myself with people, Dawn. Well, except my therapist, but he's paid to listen to me rattle on…"

"I won't judge you. There's nothing you can say that would make me want you any less."

Andrew took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "What if I told you I'm bisexual?"

"I'd say tell me something I didn't know."

Andrew blinked. "How…"

"It's kinda obvious you like guys, dear. I mean, I used to think you were completely gay, but you've proven you have some definite interest in women. So I figured you must go both ways."

"And you're just okay with that?"

Dawn shrugged. "Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. I thought maybe it would freak you out."

"Please. I spent a summer living with lesbian witches. I'm way harder to freak out than that."

Andrew sat in front of her on the bed. "Wow… I didn't think you'd handle that so well."

"You need to have a little more faith in me. And I promise you, I don't have any questions about your masculinity. I'm well aware of the fact that you have all the right manly parts."

Andrew blushed. "Yeah, I guess you do."

Dawn took hold of his hand in one of hers, though she still kept the sheet pulled around her with the other. "See? You can talk to me. It won't make me run away."

"It's been something that I've wrestled with for a long time," Andrew said after a moment of silence. "For a while, I thought maybe I was gay. I was attracted to women, but I was attracted to men, too, and it confused me. Especially since, well, I tend to be attracted to men more." He looked up quickly at Dawn. "But I am attracted to you. And in very much a boyfriend type of way. It's not like I won't be satisfied if you're who I'm sleeping with."

"I know," Dawn said, smiling softly at him. "It's okay."

"I went back and forth a lot," Andrew said. "And sometimes…with the men I liked…I didn't know if I wanted to be with them or _be_ them. It's part of why I worked so hard at getting girlfriends when we left Sunnydale. I wanted to know…to know if I enjoyed sex with women. And I do. It's…it's different, being with a woman. I feel safer somehow, like I can be more open."

"Different… So you have, um, actually been with men?"

"Not…I mean I haven't…" Andrew looked away. "But I've done some things, yeah."

Dawn took hold of his chin and turned his face back so he was looking at her again. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. I was just asking. I'm not going to run out of the room screaming 'ew.'" She smiled. "And I still want you."

"My experiences with men haven't been very good," Andrew said softly. "I always end up feeling used. I think…I think it's the kind of men I'm attracted to. Not that I've been with that many, but it was always ones that liked to push me down a lot, make me feel weak. Unimportant. Men that liked to hurt me."

"Warren," Dawn said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Dawn saw tears forming in the corner of Andrew's eyes when he answered. "He was the worst. I don't…I don't want to talk about what happened with him, okay? It's too much."

Dawn gave his hand a soft squeeze. "It's okay. I'm not going to push on that, all right? I don't want you to close yourself off from me, but…but there's certain things I'll let you keep to yourself."

Andrew looked relieved. "Thank you."

"Is that…is that all that makes you feel like you're not a man?"

"No," Andrew admitted. "My father used to say stuff all the time, too. And…and Tucker." Andrew shifted uncomfortably. "Can my brother be another one of those things we don't talk about?"

"He hurt you? Not pressing for details, just…"

"Yeah. He did."

"Is that why it bothered you so much when people would refer to you as Tucker's brother?"

"Part of it, yeah. And I didn't like not having my own identity either, being seen as nothing but an extension of my sibling." He smiled slightly. "I'm sure you can relate to that."

Dawn smirked. "A little, yeah." She pulled her hand out of his to reach up and caress his face. "Do you feel any better now, talking about this with me?"

"Yeah, actually. I was sorta worried, you know, about what would happen if you found out."

"You didn't need to."

"I'm seeing that now." Andrew took her hand from his face and pressed a kiss to her palm. "I've never been able to tell another woman that."

"I'm glad that I'm the one you could tell."

"Me, too. You…you make me feel good about myself, Dawn. Like maybe I'm not such a miserable excuse for a man after all."

"You're not a miserable excuse for anything," Dawn said. "And don't you even start to protest. See, you agreed that I'm your girlfriend, and along with that comes a clause which states that I am always, always right. About everything."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really. It's the well-known 'girlfriend's always right' clause. No one filled you in?"

"I think I may have heard of it once or twice," Andrew said with a chuckle, glad that the conversation seemed to be turning away from more serious topics. It felt good to get that off his chest with Dawn, but he felt like he'd poured enough of his heart out for the time being. Dawn said she wouldn't judge him for these things, but that didn't mean he wasn't afraid something would come out that she couldn't handle. His past had more than its share of darkness.

"Good, 'cause keeping it in mind will get you far in this relationship." She leaned in and kissed him. "See? I still want you."

"I don't want to do anything to make you run off," Andrew said once Dawn had pulled away.

"You won't," Dawn said, smiling.

"How can you be so sure? I mean, I'm perfectly capable of…"

Dawn pressed her finger to his lips to silence him. "I know because, well…" She dropped her hand and took a deep breath, deciding there was no time like the present to let him know how she felt. "I know because I love you."

Andrew stared at her, slack-jawed. He tried to speak, but only managed to open and close his mouth a few times.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Dawn asked, his response making her doubt her decision to tell him. Was it too soon? Saying that scared guys off sometimes, didn't it? But Andrew had said he didn't want her getting scared off, so why would he be the one to bolt? Unless maybe her being in love with him was really _that_ scary. "Well? I mean, I have zero relationship experience, unless you count that vampire from Halloween a few years back and RJ of the possessed jacket, but isn't this usually where you'd say you love me, too? Unless you don't, in which case can you just forget I said anything, so I can quit babbling and we can go back to where we were..,"

"No one's ever been in love with me before," Andrew said, stopping Dawn before she could keep going. "I…do you really?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

"How…how do you know? Are you sure it's love?"

"Either that or a bad case of indigestion." Dawn giggled at the look Andrew gave her. "It's love. I'm sure of it. I've never really felt anything like this before, but I know that's what it has to be." She took a deep breath, then said it again. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"And how do _you_ know?" Dawn teased.

"Just do."

"So you think maybe you could rethink this whole getting out of bed thing?"

"We're back to that, are we?" Dawn nodded, and Andrew took a deep breath. Dawn was clutching the sheet to her bare body, her hair tousled and her lips swollen from kissing. She was gorgeous—everything he could ever want. "Not now."

"Why not?" She gave him a pout that almost shot his willpower all to hell.

"Because I want it to be special," Andrew replied.

"It will be special. It'll be _us_."

"I know, but…" He closed his eyes for a moment, reminding himself exactly why he was turning down the gorgeous, willing woman in front of him. "There's lots of reasons why right now isn't a good time. You decided today that you want to, and before you tell me you're not going to change your mind, you still could, whether you realize it or not. It's a big step, and it's not one that can be taken back."

"But…"

"No. Listen. I do have more experience here, okay? Let's do this right. Put some planning into it?"

"Planning?" Dawn asked, her brow furrowed.

"Well, yeah. I keep trying to tell you, it shouldn't be a spur of the moment decision. For one thing, I don't have any condoms, and I doubt you do either."

"Oh. Good point." Dawn blushed a little. "I didn't think of that."

"And that's important." Andrew gave her a crooked smile. "As beautiful as I'm sure our children would be, I really don't want to see one anytime soon."

"So we need to buy some condoms. That's no so big of a deal."

"There's more than that, Dawn."

"Like?"

"I told you, I want it to be special."

"And I said…"

"I know what you said. But that's not what I meant. Maybe go someplace first? Have dinner at a nice restaurant?"

Dawn thought about that for a moment. That could be nice, she decided. Something special to mark the occasion. "So when? Tomorrow?"

"I was thinking more like Friday."

"Friday? But it's Tuesday now! That's like…three days away!"

Andrew chuckled. "Yeah, it is. I want to give you some time change your mind if you need to."

"I'm not going to change my mind! I've made it up, and that's where it was going to stay."

Andrew decided the stubborn gene must be very strong in the Summers family. Not that he really minded so much. He liked strong women. But right now, he needed her to give in, at least a little. He had no doubt that in most things in this relationship, she'd get her way without much of a fight, but not here. It was too important. But he wasn't against compromise. "How about Thursday then? It'll give you a day to really think about it, make sure you don't have any doubts that you're ready for this."

Dawn sighed. If he could give in a little, so could she. "Fine. Thursday. I don't have to keep my hands off you until then, do I?"

"Um, no. Not even sure that would be physically possible… But I do think maybe we should cool it down for a little bit right now. Are you hungry?"

"A little. I guess it has been a while since breakfast."

"Then how about you put on some clothes, and we'll raid the fridge, okay?"

"Okay." Dawn stood, letting the sheet fall to the bed as she found her clothes. Andrew wasn't sure if she was just to the point that she was perfectly comfortably being naked around him or if she was purposely taunting him.

Either way, it was going to be a long couple of days…

* * *

I put this fic on hiatus for a while for several reasons, and while I don't feel like getting into them all right now, just take my word for it when I say they were really good ones. But it's back now, and I'm not planning another three month break.

I would, however, like to know if you're all still with me out there, so if you're still interested in this fic, please review and let me know. It's easy to lose readers when you have to take a break from a fic for a while, and I want to know if people still care about reading this.

Also, a note about some earlier reviews and author's notes. When I clarified that this isn't a "sappy love story," I didn't meant that in a way like I was insulted that that's what people think it is. I mean it really, really isn't. As in there's some serious angst coming up. I meant that more as a warning that a defense of my fic (because honestly, I have no problem with sappy love stories).I don't want people thinking that's what this is and then being blindsided when a large chunk of it is not. So, to sum up: When I say this isn't just a sappy love story, I'm not saying the previous chapters aren't sappy. I'm saying later ones will not be. Hope that cleared that up.


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